The US prestige beauty market is approaching the holiday season with stronger sales momentum than it achieved the same time last year, despite ‘some pullback’ in spending throughout 2024. Industry experts predict how current trends/consumer sentiment may impact the critical fourth quarter.
The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc. has introduced more than 240 GPT’s or ‘Generative Pre-trained Transformers’ for data processing and analysis within the company, resulting in R&D and marketing response times improving by more than 90%, says OpenAI.
Claire’s Holdings LLC, Sprout’s Farmers Markets and Walgreen Company are the latest US retailers to build on beauty and personal care store brands in response to growing consumer demand.
Kenvue Inc., marketer of Neutrogena, Aveeno and Listerine brands, has named former Coty America executive Andrew Stanleick president, Skin Health & Beauty for North America and EMEA; Separately, Registrar Corp. finds nearly 50% of companies selling imported cosmetics in US retailers are non-compliant with MoCRA
Darrin Schellin leads Pharma Tech; PLT expands leadership with Weiss as brand mmanagement head; Tuttle joins ProPharma as CFO; Burgher leads Arbonne marketing, growth; Evvy appoints first medical chief; Vitaquest appoints David Alcaraz quality assurance head; and Lemon Water leadership in transition from founder.
New York-based International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.’s Scent division is undertaking R&D in natural, synthetic chemistry and biotech molecules, says CEO Erik Fyrwald during a third quarter earnings presentation 6 November.
Houston-based skin care company Drunk Elephant was able to support an Instagram post claim that 17 of its products are ‘safe for kids and teens’ to use, providing an independent assessment of its products based on the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) standard for testing cosmetics.
Firm’s future, as a separate business nearly 90% owned by Bausch Health, or as a standalone with different ownership or one not controlled by a majority owner, claims high profile in analysts’ comments and predictions. B+L is in the driver’s seat, they say.
The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc.’s Mainland China business weakened ‘substantially’ from a 10% decline in Q4, prompting the firm to pull its fiscal year 2025 sales outlook and forecasting reported and organic net sales in the fiscal second quarter will fall 6%-8%.
The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. says new president and CEO Stéphane de la Faverie will lead in nurturing and building powerful prestige brands while also moving the firm forward “with speed and urgency.” William Lauder announces plans to step down from his role as executive chairman, while Jane Lauder reportedly has also decided to exit.
Galderma Group AG’s investments in Cetaphil launch, ‘re-energizing’ of brand pay off with sales of the dermatology unit up 10.6% in the third quarter. Separately, Spanish beauty company Puig reports its Fragrance and Fashion business grew 11.1% and its makeup division advanced 7.3% in the quarter, while data insights company Consumer Edge identifies slowdown in direct-to-consumer beauty sales.
Beiersdorf AG will back the NIVEA skin care brand with the strongest ‘launch and relaunch’ innovation pipeline in the brand’s history in 2025, says CEO Vincent Warnery during a 24 October quarterly sales presentation.
California authorities say predominance of retailers licensed to sell hemp are compliant with ban published effective on 3 October through emergency regulation. But hemp industry’s contesting the regulation in state court, arguing state authorities inappropriately used emergency action to change state law on hemp products legislature passed in 2021.
Dermatological Beauty grew only 0.8% in L’Oréal’s third quarter, hampered by US sluggishness attributed in part to lack of innovation in the CeraVe brand. The company announced the launch of two new products that should help to boost the division’s sales in the fourth quarter and reaffirmed confidence in China and L’Oréal’s 2025 prospects.
Accelerating new store openings and adding 6 million more loyalty members are among Ulta’s newly unveiled strategic priorities. At the firm’s 16 October Investor Day, the retailer reported it is lowering its long-term outlook to account for “normalization” of the US beauty market post-COVID and increasing prestige competition.
While Beauty was the poorest performer among P&G’s five business units in the fiscal 2025 first quarter, the decline mostly reflects a 20% organic sales drop in skin care due to ongoing struggles in China. Beauty in North America grew 8% and in Europe 6%, the firm reported in an 18 October earnings report, reaffirming its full-year outlook for all-in sales growth in the range of 2%-4%.
Coty Inc.’s preliminary fiscal first-quarter sales growth of 4%-5% like-for-like versus expectations of 6% and LMVH’s third-quarter report showing soft sales of Selective Retailing and Cosmetics & Perfumes signal a slowdown in consumer spending in the US beauty market, analysts agree.
Plaintiffs in California federal courts seek restitution, damages, and other relief on behalf of themselves and consumers nationwide, whom allegedly were deceived by “Plant-Based” representations on Aveeno and Neutrogena Makeup Removing Wipes.
Italian personal care and beauty manufacturer Sodalis Group will acquire Alberto V05, Zest soap, Sure deodorants and other personal care brands in a transaction with current owner Tengram Capital Partners expected to close by the end of October. Recent years have seen high private equity activity in cosmetics and personal care.
Unilever PLC has appointed former jewelry company executive Mary Carmen Gasco-Buisson to lead its fast-growing prestige division. The Estee Lauder Companies announces the retirement of 28-year company veteran and group president, North America, Mark Loomis. More beauty industry leadership news.