An award-winning Teesside tanning products manufacturer has expanded its contract with World Options as it prepares to launch new brands into international markets.

uGlow, founded in Stockton-on-Tees in 2010 by entrepreneur Louise Cooper, has built a strong reputation in the beauty sector with a clear tanning water designed to deliver a natural-looking, streak-free finish with minimal odour. The company’s products have since won multiple accolades, including New Beauty Product of the Year, Best Beauty Product, Most Innovative Self Tanning Product and Global Award for Best Beauty Brand at the Prestige Awards and Innovation Excellence Awards in 2022 and 2023.

Manufactured in the UK, uGlow’s products are bottled and distributed from the company’s premises at Teesside University’s Launchpad facilities. As the business now looks to international growth, it has expanded its relationship with World Options to support the next stage of its distribution strategy.

Having already worked with World Options franchise partner Stephen Hingley for several years to distribute products to salons and consumers across the UK, uGlow has now widened the contract so that the World Options portal is integrated directly into its own website and distribution systems.

The move gives uGlow a more streamlined approach to ecommerce shipping and fulfilment, while also improving its ability to manage more complex delivery requirements as international expansion gathers pace.

Louise Cooper, founder and managing director of uGlow, said: “Having spent the first half of my working life as a process improvement engineer, I’m always looking at ways things can be done better. My move into beauty products came through my own frustration with the products I was dealing with as a mechanical engineer working on tanning spray booths.”

She added: “Stephen was recommended to me as a distribution partner after I had a bad experience working directly with one of the main courier firms during the delivery of my first ever batch of products to a wholesale distributor.

“Working with World Options, our products are shipped using the most appropriate courier company for each shipment, but crucially we have Stephen on the end of the phone to call if there is ever a problem or delay.”

That combination of carrier choice and direct support is a major advantage for growing businesses that need ecommerce shipping solutions without losing access to personal service. For companies managing rising order volumes, multiple destinations and tighter customer expectations, having the right shipping systems in place can make a direct difference to service quality and growth potential.

Louise added: “We are now planning to step up our manufacturing and distribution here on Teesside, with a new range of products aimed at the international market, so I am very happy to extend our contract with Stephen, whereby the World Options portal is now synched into our own website, which from an ex-engineer’s point of view is the perfect smooth-running solution.”

Stephen Hingley of World Options said: “The world of international shipping is becoming ever more complex. At World Options, we simplify shipping for businesses of all sizes offering tailored solutions for parcels and freight, international deliveries, import, export, and time-sensitive courier services.”

 
He added: “Our network of trusted carriers allows us to provide competitive rates and efficient, reliable service. Through our portal, customers like uGlow can use the exact same mainstream couriers as when booking direct, but with an extra level of customer service from a dedicated carrier partner, who is always on-hand to answer queries and assist with complex paperwork requirements.”
 
As uGlow prepares for further international growth, the expanded partnership highlights how the right shipping support can help ambitious product-based businesses scale more confidently, improve operational efficiency and serve customers in more markets.