More M&A to come
Just a few days ago LVMH said it would acquire control of Italian luxury-goods company Bulgari—this just...March 8, 2011
The consumer web
Once upon a time e-commerce meant selling through a branded site or on a retail partner’s site....February 23, 2011
Data paints a pretty picture
Recent data on beauty paints a relatively positive picture of the market. The NPD Group reported that...February 8, 2011
Retail BRICs
The BRIC markets don’t seem to hold as much fascination for German perfumery chain Douglas as they...January 25, 2011
New year, new caution?
Overall, the holiday season may have turned out to be better than expected for beauty. Retailers reported...January 11, 2011
M&A – ’tis the season
The year 2010 is ending on a note of M&A—in the fourth quarter alone there have been...December 18, 2010
Small scent syndrome
Brands and retailers don’t usually like small product sizes for obvious reasons, but the problem is that...November 23, 2010
Playing up prestige
There seems to be a lot more optimism around the prestige category, just in time for the...November 9, 2010
M&A and market shifts
After a relatively calm period when the big groups were conserving their cash and playing it safe,...October 13, 2010
Service & the internet
Back in the old days of the internet—about 10 years ago—discussion about buying and selling online usually...September 29, 2010
Changing retail channels
If the industry needed any more proof that retail models are changing and consumers are buying differently,...August 31, 2010
Emerging men
Are men back on the radar? For years the beauty industry has talked about the growth potential...July 20, 2010
Brands social networking skills
Negative comments and criticism have been one of the beauty’s industry’s main fears when it comes to...July 6, 2010
Retail changes and the internet
A lot of questions are being asked about how the internet will change retailing. There is little...June 23, 2010
Europe on shaky ground
What’s the outlook for Europe? At the beginning of the year the industry was looking forward to...June 9, 2010
Bulls and China
It’s no surprise that the Tax Free Asia Pacific show, which took place in Singapore in May,...May 26, 2010
Back to growth?
Confidence seems to be returning to the market. Analysts got excited about March retail sales in the...April 28, 2010
Emerging deals
Another beauty company changed hands in the past week: Avon took over UK skincare brand Liz Earle....March 31, 2010
No so private label
Should beauty brands begin to worry more about private label? Most of the big players do not...March 16, 2010
Trading right
The recession brought up many questions about the pricing of beauty products. Some thought it would bring...March 3, 2010
Smart growth
A new business book called Smart Growth: Building an Enduring Business by Managing the Risks of Growth...February 17, 2010
Beauty’s green shoots
Beauty brands are beginning to spend again. Both Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) and P&G said last week...February 3, 2010
In with the new
Most beauty executives were glad to say goodbye to 2009 and are looking forward to a better...January 20, 2010
The holidays’ best buys
It’s showtime. In these crucial few weeks before Christmas the question on everyone’s lips, perhaps more than...December 16, 2009
Mixed messages
It’s no surprise that new technology is forcing a change in brands’ media marketing mix. But what...December 2, 2009
Good intentions
Published November 19, 2009 All those good intentions expressed at the height of the recession about limiting...November 17, 2009
More consolidation to come…
The US may be technically coming out of a recession and the stock market may have seen...November 3, 2009
Getting back to basics
Getting back to basics has become a familiar refrain when discussing strategies to beat the recession. Recent...October 17, 2009
Shoppers vs consumers
Most brands claim to know their consumer. They have study upon study detailing their consumer’s socio-economic status,...October 7, 2009
Changes in China
At the height financial crisis most beauty companies more than willingly talked up their growth and expansion...September 9, 2009