c/o BirchboxBeauty sampling startup Birchbox has turned a profit for the first time after a year marred by mass layoffs and buoyed by an inside round. Birchbox's merchant team also renegotiated margins with its partners, which range from small beauty brands to multinational cosmetics conglomerates. In fact, December 2016 was the company's all-time biggest sales month, followed by its most successful January to date. Right now, about half of Birchbox's 1 million subscribers worldwide return to its website to purchase full-priced products. This e-commerce business now represents 35% of the company's revenues.

Source: Forbes April 12, 2017 12:56 UTC