A new direct-to-consumer route to market?
Last week it emerged that furniture company Ikea was considering teaming up with rival brands to create an...February 18, 2019
Digital may be good for business, but it also means much uncertainty
Digital has been credited with boosting the beauty market. At his New Year address to the press in...February 4, 2019
BW Confidential unveils new-look Beauty Insight
The market has changed. So have we. Today we bring you our new-look Beauty Insight, which we...January 21, 2019
Nervousness over China continues
Nervousness over China continues. The country, which is embroiled in a trade war with the US and...January 9, 2019
Beauty industry gives start-ups a boost
The beauty industry is set to have a host of well-financed start-ups it seems. Hardly a month...December 12, 2018
Online on top for Black Friday
This year’s Black Friday was perhaps hard proof of the large transfer of brick-and-mortar sales to online...November 28, 2018
Singles’ Day and China sentiment
There may be worries about the impact of a trade war with the US and a weaker...November 14, 2018
Travel retail and online driving growth in beauty
Travel retail and online are the two channels driving growth in beauty and are set to continue...November 7, 2018
New business models continue to emerge
With the impact of digital, new business models continue to emerge, especially when it comes to how...October 31, 2018
Sears’ bankruptcy highlights importance of the need to stay fresh and focused on newness
The need to stay fresh, exciting and focused on newness in retail was clearly illustrated this week...October 17, 2018
The first half of 2018 has been a good one for beauty
So far, so good. The first half of 2018 has been a good one for beauty. Make-up...October 5, 2018
The need for brands and retailers to share data
There has been much talk for many years about the need for brands and retailers to share...October 4, 2018
Digital & disrupting beauty
Digital promises to bring much improvement to the beauty industry. It is set to result in more...September 27, 2018
Rise of e-commerce continues to impact traditional retail
There has been yet another major retail move as a result of the rise of e-commerce. Canada’s...September 19, 2018
Busy summer for beauty M&A
The summer is usually a quieter period for most businesses. This was not the case in beauty,...August 22, 2018
Macy’s is betting on Bluemercury for growth
In 2015, faced with growing competition from trendy, youth-friendly and accessible stores like Ulta and Sephora, US-based...July 11, 2018
Are changes in how consumers shop finally impacting the ways in which brands work with retailers?
Are changes in how consumers shop finally impacting the ways in which brands work with retailers? An...June 27, 2018
Amazon looks to go deeper in beauty
The launch of Amazon’s Indie Beauty Shop, set for this month, has some analysts drawing parallels with...June 13, 2018
Betting on digital
L’Oréal has made three acquisitions since the beginning of this year (not counting its deal to take...May 30, 2018
Newness is latest industry buzzword
Newness is emerging as one of the latest industry buzzwords. There has been a focus on new...May 16, 2018
Sinking or swimming in the Amazon
Amazon is quickly becoming unavoidable. Brands may have been able to hold back from selling their products...May 2, 2018
Beauty majors looking to start-up hubs and incubators for fresh ideas
Beauty may be about to get a lot of new products and services. That would seem to...April 18, 2018
Recent M&A indicates market’s key directions
There has been a flurry of M&A activity over the past few weeks, with the recent deals...April 4, 2018
2018: off to a good start?
At the beginning of 2018 industry players seem more optimistic than they have been in a long...March 22, 2018
Millennials are not the only shoppers
Millennials continue to be an obsession among marketers. Products are designed with the young consumer in mind...March 7, 2018
Beauty upbeat for 2018
Based on the earnings calls and financial meetings of beauty’s major groups, there is much reason to...February 21, 2018
Direct selling back in fashion
While the direct-to-consumer model through standalone stores or online sales is now a key concern among beauty...February 7, 2018
Retailers & turning to tech
Amazon, in the news this week for the opening of its cashier-less Amazon Go concept, is often...January 24, 2018
Beauty and voice technology
Beauty is set to get more personalized as a growing number of companies embrace voice technology and...January 10, 2018
Brands’ search for new business models was key trend of 2017
If the beauty industry in 2017 were to be defined by just one key trend it would...December 13, 2017