Tropic initially launched as Tropic Pure Plant Skin Care in 2007, by founder Susan Ma.[5] The company officially became incorporated in 2011.[6] After Susan Ma took part in the seventh series of The Apprentice, Alan Sugar invested to become a 50/50 partner in Tropic. In 2013, Tropic launched its Social Selling Business Platform with 400 founding sales people.[7] Tropic has since increased its product range to include skincare, body care, hair care, sun care, tanning serums and products designed for men.[8] In April 2023, Ma purchased back Sugar's shares and now owns 100% of the business.[9]
Tropic uses a direct sales and multi-level marketing business model, in which sales people are paid for selling and for sales made by people they recruit or sponsor. Sales people host party plan events where products are demonstrated or sampled and orders are taken from customers. Sales people also can attend commercial events and have personal web-shops, where products are sold online.[10]
"Ambassadors" earn a 25% commission on products they sell themselves, and advance through the "qualifications" ("ambassador", "manager", and "executive manager") set out in the Success Plan.[11] The terms and conditions sellers sign requires that ambassadors only buy stock to sell for genuine customer orders, rather than purely to advance levels. It also caps Ambassador's stock capacity to 20 items at any one time. There are no volume requirements to earn commission.[12]
Tropic featured on The Sunday Times Hundred 2022 - Britain's Fastest Growing Private Companies for the sixth consecutive year. Previously known as the Fast Track 100.[17]
