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.
Why Shopping for Beauty Is So Different in the UK
The British beauty market is booming, but a highly fragmented retail network presents unique challenges. Here’s what brands should consider when selecting a partner.
Sephora to Sell Its Beauty Brands with Zappos
The beauty retailer plans to launch its assortment of beauty with the Amazon-owned shoe and fashion company this summer.
Would You Buy Lube From a Celebrity?
Christina Aguilera is the co-founder and chief brand advisor of Playground, a line that specialises in sexual wellness – a space that’s emerging as the next frontier for celebrity branding.
2023 Trends at the World’s Largest B2B Beauty and Cosmetics Event
Cosmoprof Worldwide returned this March, attracting 2,980+ exhibiting companies from 64 countries. Now, BoF shares its insight on the key trends of the event.
E.l.f. and American Eagle Reveal Beauty Collaboration
TikTok-favourite beauty brand, E.l.f. is partnering with teen retailer American Eagle to create a line of clothing-inspired cosmetics.
The Innovations Transforming Fragrance
The art of making perfume has changed thanks to a number of new technologies from lab-grown ingredients to artificial intelligence.
The Hair Tools Space Heats Up
With new players like Shark and Dyson making blow dryers and stylers, the hair tools segment is in the midst of an innovation push the likes of which it hasn’t seen in decades.
The Business of Beauty Global Forum: First Speakers Announced
Sephora’s Jean-André Rougeot, Nykaa’s Falguni Nayar, Isamaya Ffrench, Byredo’s Ben Gorham, Unilever Prestige’s Vasiliki Petrou, Monique Rodriguez of Mielle Organics, Glossier’s Kyle Leahy, and Jane Lauder will join BoF in Napa Valley from May 30 - 31, 2023.
What Beauty Can Learn From Booze
From the way spirits are marketed to the success of celebrity-founded lines, alcohol offers a roadmap for standing out in a crowded market.
Inside Puig’s Transformation Through M&A
Dries Van Noten, Charlotte Tilbury, Byredo… While reinforcing its position in designer fragrances, the Spanish owner of Paco Rabanne and Jean Paul Gaultier has diversified its business with an acquisition spree. CEO Marc Puig unpacks the strategy.
Supergoop’s Plans for Global Growth
Just over a year after Blackstone acquired a majority stake in the sunscreen label, CEO Amanda Baldwin opens up about how Supergoop plans to keep growing in new markets.
Applying Lessons From the Beauty Industry to a Department Store Turnaround
Sophia Hwang-Judiesch, who took the helm of the storied department story in September, is looking to find the sweet spot between leveraging new growth prospects and revamping brick-and-mortar.
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.