Boots Acquired by Canada’s Weston Family for $8.9 Billion
The Westons agreed on Wednesday to buy the UK's Boots from Sycamore Partners and the Pessina family, pledging to invest in the retailer's stores and online and expand healthcare services.
Beauty
Analysis and advice on the fast-evolving beauty business.
Is Mass Appeal Even Possible Anymore?
Brands like Maybelline and Budweiser face fallout when appealing to Gen-Z’s diverse, gender fluid values. But as younger shoppers get older, big corporations have to get comfortable with catering to fragmented audiences – unless they just tap Alix Earle.
Beauty Brands Are Rediscovering an Old-School Way to Sell Their Products
Indie brands that used to rely on Instagram ads and TikTok influencers to spread the word are hiring traditional sales reps who trek from store to store promoting their wares.
Why Gen-Z Loves Dupes
Copycat products have shaken up the beauty industry as young consumers eat up inexpensive alternatives hawked on TikTok.
Kirsten Green, Gabby YJ Chen, Manoj Dias, Sharareh Siadat and Schuyler Bailar to Speak at The Business of Beauty Global Forum 2023
Join the global livestream on May 30 and 31, 2023 to unlock essential learnings, challenge conventional thinking, inspire innovation and reimagine the future of the global beauty and wellness industry.
Can A-List Estheticians Build Viable Beauty Brands?
As more skin care experts launch their own brands, leaning on a roster of A-list clientele may not be enough to scale.
Brexit Hinders British Beauty’s Post-Pandemic Recovery
A new report from the British Beauty Council found the sector contributed £24.5 billion to the British economy last year, 14 percent below 2019 levels. But fresh opportunities like domestic manufacturing could open up new paths for growth.
How Beauty Brands Can Pick the Right Retail Partner
With a growing number of retailers looking to stock cosmetics, skin care and more on their shelves, brands have to think harder about which partner fulfils their needs.
Beauty’s “Ageing” Rebrand That Never Was
Euphemisms like “pro-aging” and “anti anti-aging” exist to obscure the fact that the beauty industry is selling the same creams and tonics meant to enhance one’s appearance. It may be time for a new approach.
Why Seemingly Every Male Celebrity Suddenly Has a Beauty Line
Evan Mock, Harry Styles, Brad Pitt, Jared Leto and many more famous men are banking on the blurring gender binary, or simply the novelty factor, to propel their brands to the top of a crowded market.
Turning Sexual Wellness Into a Contact Sport
The Soho boutique is probably the first sex toy shop with a shrine to Wayne Gretzky, but it’s not alone in its pursuit of using vibrators and lube to lure shoppers into stores.
Why L’Oréal Paid $2.5 Billion for Aesop
Aesop pulled off the difficult trick of portraying itself as a luxury brand for everyone, and that turns out to be worth quite a lot.
L’Oréal to Acquire Aesop
Beauty giant L’Oréal is buying Aesop in a reported deal that values the brand at $2.525 billion.
THE NEWS IN BRIEF
Report: L’Oréal Explores Unloading Chemical-Related Liabilities
The French company has engaged restructuring advisers to explore options for rising US legal liabilities linked to its use of talc and other chemical ingredients in some of its cosmetic products, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
Sycamore Said to Near Deal to Sell Boots
The private equity firm is nearing a deal, valued at $9 billion, to sell the UK health and beauty retail business to the Canadian branch of the billionaire Weston family, a source told Bloomberg.
Dyson’s $499 AI Toothbrush Sees Rocky Debut
The UK firm blamed a production error resulting in ‘water seepage’ for the disappearance of its newly launched camera-equipped toothbrush from stores.
Sephora to Launch at Marks & Spencer
‘Sephora at M&S’ will roll out in M&S stores and online starting next spring, with plans to expand to 100 locations by the end of 2028.
Novo Buys Rights to Early Obesity Pill For $2.6 Billion
The Wegovy maker has signed a deal to license an experimental obesity pill from China’s Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals as it seeks to regain share of the global GLP-1 market.
Oura Delays US IPO
The smart ring maker said on Tuesday it has delayed its US initial public offering, citing market uncertainty.
Scarlett Johansson’s Skincare Brand The Outset Closes
As of Monday, the premium brand’s website has been updated with a message announcing its closure.