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It was only recently that we reported on Rituals’ plans for one of Europe’s largest retail overhauls.

Now the global wellbeing giant is taking another major step. But this time, the focus lies beyond its more than 1,500 stores around the world.

Instead, Rituals is turning its attention to an issue that reaches far beyond its products: the mental wellbeing of young people.

The brand is committing €20 million through 2028 to partnerships and initiatives aimed at strengthening youth mental wellbeing around the world.

Raymond Cloosterman, Founder & CEO

Behind the global Rituals business is founder and CEO Raymond Cloosterman, whose entrepreneurial story is every bit as compelling as the brand’s growth.

Over 25 years, Rituals has grown from a basement in Amsterdam into a global business with more than 1500 own stores, over 4000 shop-in-shops and a presence in 33 countries. We previously met Cloosterman in Amsterdam for an in-depth interview about the journey, the ambitions and the evolution of Rituals. You can read the interview here.

We also spoke about Rituals’ opportunity to give back, something that now sits at the heart of the company’s latest initiative.

Through its 10% Profit for Impact programme, Rituals allocates 10 per cent of its annual net profit to initiatives focused on the wellbeing of people and the planet.

For Cloosterman, the challenge is no longer simply understanding the problem:

“The challenge is no longer knowing what works. The challenge is making sure effective solutions reach more young people.”

According to the WHO, one in seven young people experience mental health challenges. At the same time, there are already proven initiatives designed to strengthen resilience, relationships and mental wellbeing. The challenge is getting those solutions to the millions of young people who could benefit from them.

This is where Rituals believes brands can play a role.

“Many organisations are already giving young people the tools, support and expertise they need to strengthen their resilience, relationships and mental wellbeing. The challenge today is making sure these proven interventions reach even more young people,” says Cloosterman.

He believes brands have a particular opportunity to help scale solutions that already work.

“We believe brands can play a role by using their reach and influence to support organisations with deep expertise in this area. Through 10% Profit for Impact, we hope to contribute to this collective effort.”

One concrete example is Rituals’ role in UNICEF’s Global Youth Mental Health Coalition, which brings together private-sector companies around a shared ambition to improve young people’s mental wellbeing worldwide.

Esther Polhuijs, Head of Advocacy and Programs at UNICEF Netherlands, points to the growing understanding of what works:

“We have a good understanding today of what strengthens young people’s mental health. For example, we know that social connections are an important protective factor for young people’s mental wellbeing.”

For her, the next step is about taking proven solutions to a much larger audience:

“The challenge is therefore no longer developing new solutions, but making sure proven and effective interventions reach far more young people.”

Rituals expects the programme to contribute between €300 million and €400 million to initiatives supporting the wellbeing of people and the planet over the next decade.

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