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Tag: cosmetics

  • Spate and Vogue Business Track Top 5 Beauty and Wellness Trends

    Spate and Vogue Business Track Top 5 Beauty and Wellness Trends

    The Vogue Business Beauty Tracker, produced in collaboration with Spate, tracks the top 5 brands, trends, and ingredients driving significant year-on-year growth.

    Haircare search data from August 2025 to July 2026 highlighted growing interest in active follicle health solutions, including redensyl, peptide serums, and rice water hairspray.

    Clinical scalpcare leads hair category

    Brand interest centered on science-backed and premium solutions, with Labo-H trending for Korean scalpcare and hair loss prevention, alongside Bare Anatomy, UltraSwim, Iso Beauty, and Bvlgari Beauty.

    Swimming-specific cleansers from UltraSwim and salon-grade styling tools from Iso Beauty recorded steady increases, alongside luxury hybrid cleansers from Bvlgari Beauty. On TikTok, content centered on practical styling and protection gathered engagement, with hashtags for fast curly hair routines and freshwater mineral protection drawing steady viewership.

    Bodycare shifts to clinical active ingredients

    In body treatments, consumer preference moved toward exfoliating and brightening actives typically used in facial skincare during the July 2025 to June 2026 period. Alpha hydroxy acid body lotions, kojic acid formulations and hand exfoliators logged steady volume gains, alongside muscle recovery products such as epsom salt lotions.

    Brand interest concentrated on sensitive skin and barrier support lines. Australian brand QV Skincare recorded rising interest for barrier-repair lotions, while Curology drew search gains for dermatologist-led body acne treatments. Naked Bee expanded visibility for honey and oatmeal formulas, while Luna Daily captured queries for microbiome-balanced intimate care products.

    Functional delivery formats reshape wellness

    Wellness searches reflected demand for targeted, screen-free and non-pill formats over the 12 months to June 2026. Wearable dopamine patches for focus, acupressure wristbands for motion sickness, and screenless fitness trackers outpaced standard health devices in monthly search acceleration. Liquid zinc and male fertility nutritional supplements recorded higher query volumes across preventive health channels.

    Specialist wellness labels captured the shift toward single-benefit nutrition. Artemis Tea gained traction for organic herbal infusions, Nancy’s Probiotic logged search growth for cultured nutrition, and Sparkle Wellness grew search share through collagen powders targeting skin and joint vitality.

    For retailers across the Asia-Pacific region, the data confirms that personal care margins are shifting away from generic beauty counters toward specialized, clinical formulations. Department stores and health-and-beauty chains that allocate shelf space to dermatological actives and targeted scalp solutions will capture higher spend per basket than those relying on standard mass-market shampoos and washes.

    The risk sits with legacy beauty manufacturers that depend on generalized marketing claims without published active percentages. Consumers now search directly for specific compounds such as redensyl and kojic acid, leaving little room for unformulated private-label products to compete on price alone.

    This search acceleration builds on a two-year migration toward functional personal care across Asian metropolitan hubs, where scalp clinics and derma-skincare lines have steadily replaced multi-step cosmetic routines. Retail buyers in Seoul, Singapore and Mumbai spent late 2025 rebalancing shelf inventory toward pharmacy-adjacent brands.

    Merchandisers now look to fourth-quarter procurement orders to see whether high search volumes for topical actives translate into sustained reorder rates across regional drugstores through the first half of 2027.

  • Mecca Opens 285-Square-Metre Store at Sydney International Airport

    Mecca Opens 285-Square-Metre Store at Sydney International Airport

    In September 2026, Mecca opened a 285-square-metre retail space in Sydney’s T1 International terminal, marking the Australian beauty brand’s first international airport store.

    The footprint sits inside the Heinemann Tax and Duty Free concession, trading standard duty-free product walls for interactive service stations and dedicated brand zones. That footprint is roughly half the size of a standard Mecca high-street flagship, forcing the retailer to compress its inventory into high-velocity skincare, cosmetics, and travel exclusives.

    Shifting airport beauty from transaction to service

    Airport beauty retail across Asia-Pacific has historically relied on branded island counters, multi-buy discounts, and quick transactions before boarding gates call. Operators like Shilla, Lotte, and Heinemann have traditionally built duty-free concessions around volume and liquor-tobacco margins rather than high-touch advisory services.

    Mecca is testing whether hands-on consultations, application stations, and curated indie labels can extract higher basket values from outbound passengers who have cleared customs with dwell time to spare. The risk falls on staffing costs and turnaround speed: consultative beauty takes ten to twenty minutes per shopper, a cadence that clashes directly with flight departure windows.

    Heinemann’s concession strategy in Sydney

    For Heinemann, integrating a domestic specialty powerhouse allows the German travel retailer to defend sales against competing downtown duty-free stores and suburban flagship locations. Domestic travelers familiar with the Mecca brand loyalty ecosystem get an immediate reason to spend before departure rather than waiting for overseas destinations.

    Sydney Airport restructured its T1 luxury and retail precincts over recent years to capture higher average spends from returning international traffic, particularly routes across East Asia and North America. Adding specialized domestic operators inside wholesale duty-free concessions gives landlords a blueprint to raise sales per square metre without carving out independent tenancy leases.

    The travel retail rollout pipeline

    The Sydney terminal opening establishes the operating template Mecca needs before negotiating similar airside locations in Melbourne, Brisbane, or Auckland. The immediate metric to monitor is sales productivity per square metre against Heinemann’s conventional multi-brand cosmetic floorplates during peak morning departure banks.

  • Seppic Names Former Japan Chief Virginie Cavalli as Chief Executive

    Seppic Names Former Japan Chief Virginie Cavalli as Chief Executive

    Specialty chemicals supplier Seppic appointed Virginie Cavalli as chief executive officer on September 1, 2026. The decision hands leadership of the 900-employee ingredients business to an operational veteran.

    Cavalli spent more than three decades at parent company Air Liquide. Most recently, she served as deputy group vice president of human resources after leading Air Liquide Japan as chief executive.

    Decades of Industrial Leadership

    A graduate of EM Lyon Business School in financial strategy, she joined the French industrial gases group in 1992. Her executive career spans operational, financial, and business development roles across France, the United States, Chile, and Singapore.

    Seppic operates as an Air Liquide Healthcare subsidiary, manufacturing ingredients for beauty formulations, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and industrial uses. Its distribution networks and operating units serve clients across 100 countries.

    Strategic Value for Asian Formulators

    Her background gives the beauty ingredient supplier a leader with direct North Asian and Southeast Asian operating experience. Asian personal care manufacturers want active ingredients and bio-based emulsifiers backed by certified regional supply chains. That demand pushes European suppliers to adapt delivery and technical support models.

    Next on the agenda, Seppic will present formulation technologies at personal care trade exhibitions across Europe and Asia through the fourth quarter of 2026.

  • Nykaa Buys Additional 24.2 Percent Stake in Beauty Brand Earth Rhythm

    Nykaa Buys Additional 24.2 Percent Stake in Beauty Brand Earth Rhythm

    Indian beauty and fashion retailer Nykaa acquired an additional 24.2 per cent stake in direct-to-consumer personal care brand Earth Rhythm. The transaction builds on the retailer’s initial backing of the company two years ago.

    Nykaa first took a position in Earth Rhythm during an 8 million dollar Series A funding round in 2022. The increased holding deepens its direct ownership of domestic skincare and haircare labels as competition intensifies across India’s beauty and personal care market.

    Consolidation in Indian Beauty Brands

    The deal reflects a broader push by established e-commerce platforms to secure higher-margin proprietary and partner labels rather than relying entirely on third-party marketplace distribution. By taking a larger equity position, Nykaa gains tighter control over product development, supply chains, and exclusive digital merchandising rights for Earth Rhythm’s portfolio.

    Direct-to-consumer brands in India face rising customer acquisition costs on digital channels. Partnering closely with platform operators provides these brands with immediate shelf space, physical store exposure through Nykaa Luxe and Nykaa On Trend outlets, and shared logistics infrastructure across tier-one and tier-two cities.

    Building Out the House Brand Strategy

    Rival platforms including Reliance Retail’s Tira and Tata Cliq Palette are expanding their own portfolios of private and partnered beauty brands. Nykaa’s strategy mirrors global retail trends where multi-brand operators buy equity in high-performing independent labels to capture manufacturing margins alongside retail markups.

    The investment follows Nykaa’s entry into Earth Rhythm in 2022, when the startup used its Series A proceeds to expand manufacturing capacity and marketing reach. The brand formulates solid beauty bars, skincare serums, and clean-label cosmetic formulations sold across India.

    Investors will look to Nykaa’s upcoming quarterly filings for the total cash consideration paid for the 24.2 per cent equity tranche and any changes to Earth Rhythm’s board structure.

  • Beauticate Launches Curated Marketplace Beauticate Shop

    Beauticate Launches Curated Marketplace Beauticate Shop

    Australian beauty platform Beauticate has relaunched its digital publication and debuted Beauticate Shop, an online marketplace built on selective product curation rather than high-volume inventory.

    Founder Sigourney Cantelo, former beauty director at Vogue Australia, established the digital editorial site in 2014 before integrating the new direct-to-consumer sales arm.

    Editorial Selection Over Infinite Shelves

    The new marketplace operates against the prevailing trend in beauty e-commerce, where digital platforms compete primarily on catalogue depth, customer reviews and automated recommendation engines. Beauticate Shop is structuring its inventory around professional editorial selection, pitching verified product evaluation to shoppers facing decision fatigue across digital channels.

    Cantelo is positioning the platform to bridge content and transaction directly on the site. Rather than relying purely on affiliate links or third-party retail referrals, the marketplace model allows Beauticate to capture transactions directly from its readership base.

    Content-to-Commerce in Asia-Pacific

    Content-led retail models have gained steady traction across Asia-Pacific as customer acquisition costs climb on standard advertising networks. Digital publishing brands and specialist creators in Australia and Southeast Asia increasingly launch proprietary storefronts to monetize existing organic traffic directly.

    Beauty retailers across the region have traditionally scaled through expansive brand partnerships and aggressive discounting. Beauticate is testing whether smaller, curated product edits can achieve sustainable conversion rates against established category giants.

    The marketplace rollout will test consumer appetite for tight editorial edits as the broader online beauty market continues its consolidation around algorithmic discovery.

  • Aptar Beauty Shifts Focus to India and Southeast Asia as Market Hits 4% Growth

    Aptar Beauty Shifts Focus to India and Southeast Asia as Market Hits 4% Growth

    Aptar Beauty is shifting its product development and manufacturing footprint toward India and Southeast Asia as global beauty demand stabilises at 4 per cent annual growth.

    The dispensing systems supplier developed its Nouvelle airless dispenser specifically in India to capture surging demand for premium skincare before exporting the design across the region. Aptar plans to roll out the Indian-made packaging line into Thailand and Indonesia, tapping markets where consumer adoption is rising alongside trading up to higher-end product formats.

    Localising production across India and Southeast Asia

    International beauty brands in China face softer sales while domestic players gain ground, prompting packaging suppliers to diversify their regional revenue base. To support Asian fragrance demand, Aptar took a stake in Chinese manufacturer Goldrain to produce perfume pumps tailored to local price points and design preferences.

    Regional production sites in India, Thailand, and China also insulate the company against trade barriers and US tariffs. Operating plants across seven countries allows the group to supply multinational brands locally rather than shipping components across borders.

    For retailers and beauty brands across the Asia-Pacific region, packaging suppliers are moving away from adapting Western designs for Asian shelves. Aptar, like competitors Berry and Silgan, is now engineering packaging in Asia for local climate conditions, viscous formulations, and regional cost targets before distributing those formats globally.

    Engineering pumps for new cosmetic formulas

    Formulation changes are forcing mechanical redesigns across beauty dispensers. Skincare brands are replacing silicones with short-chain alkanes, which cause standard polyolefin plastics to swell and jam pump mechanisms.

    Fragrance houses are also introducing water-based, alcohol-free sprays that standard pumps cannot atomise properly. Aptar developed customised dispensing hardware for formulations like Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Perle skincare fragrance, while engineering its GSA platform for high-viscosity creams and expanding refillable systems such as its Gaïa airless line used by Clarins.

    The supplier is now eliminating polyoxymethylene and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances across its catalogue ahead of the enforcement of the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

  • Star Leap Overhauls Beauty Sourcing as Global Markets Fragment

    Star Leap Overhauls Beauty Sourcing as Global Markets Fragment

    Hong Kong supply chain distributor Star Leap has revamped its cosmetics procurement model to target regional divergences across Southeast Asian, European, and American beauty retail markets.

    The company confirmed that global demand patterns no longer align across key consumer territories, forcing wholesalers to match stock directly to local channel mechanics rather than relying on global brand awareness.

    Shifting Channel Demands Across Regions

    Market dynamics are splitting along regional lines. In Vietnam and across wider Southeast Asia, multinational cosmetics labels face stiff competition from domestic brands, producing a price-sensitive consumer base with distinct SKU preferences.

    Western territories show different retail drivers. United States retailers are tying physical store sales directly to artificial intelligence tools and virtual testing setups, while European buyers are shifting purchasing budgets toward South Korean and Japanese beauty imports at the expense of traditional domestic lines.

    Matching Inventory to Local Channels

    Distributors must balance unit costs against shelf-life constraints and regional stock velocity. Star Leap tracks purchasing costs, batch codes, and SKU assortments against specific distribution channels to prevent unsold stock sitting in secondary markets.

    Cross-border beauty logistics across Asia Pacific historically relied on moving excess inventory between territories when domestic demand slowed. Rising import compliance standards and the rapid growth of domestic Southeast Asian brands have largely closed those secondary arbitrage routes.

    Procurement teams are now locking in smaller, localized batch orders as retailers prepare their mid-year stock allocations across Asian department stores and regional e-commerce platforms.

  • China Beauty Market Targets 6 Percent Annual Expansion Through 2028

    China Beauty Market Targets 6 Percent Annual Expansion Through 2028

    China’s beauty market will expand at a 6 percent compound annual growth rate between 2024 and 2028, according to projections from consultancy McKinsey. The forecast follows a 3 percent expansion recorded in 2023 across the country’s cosmetics and skincare sectors.

    A 2025 survey showed that 75 percent of beauty executives are pushing to increase sales despite softer volume growth caused by inflation and cautious household spending. Retailers face rising customer acquisition costs across domestic e-commerce channels alongside extended product lifecycles.

    Squeezed Margins and Price Pressures

    Downward pricing pressures intensified over the past year across Chinese retail platforms. Consumers increasingly hunt for value, forcing brands to adjust promotional calendars and discount structures to defend shelf space.

    Foreign and domestic beauty brands are rethinking their operating models in response. Companies such as Changsha-based S’Young International are expanding integrated operations hubs to manage distribution and localization more efficiently.

    Shift Toward Capability Hubs

    International brands previously treated mainland China primarily as a volume driver for global sales. Today, rising domestic competition and fragmented digital channels require dedicated local research, formulation and supply chains within the market itself.

    The critical metric for brand managers in the coming quarters is whether average selling prices stabilize across major retail platforms before margins erode further.

  • Rose All Day Cosmetics Secures US$5.41 Million Series A Round

    Rose All Day Cosmetics Secures US$5.41 Million Series A Round

    Indonesian beauty brand Rose All Day Cosmetics raised US$5.41 million in a Series A funding round to finance its retail rollout and product line expansion. The company secured the financing as local cosmetics makers push for larger shares of Southeast Asia’s beauty and personal care market.

    The direct-to-consumer label plans to deploy the capital toward scaling its omnichannel retail footprint, improving product formulation pipelines, and bolstering distribution infrastructure across regional retail channels.

    Capital for regional distribution

    Founded to offer accessible daily beauty and skincare products, the brand built its initial customer base through online channels before expanding into physical retail counters, department stores, and beauty specialty chains. Direct-to-consumer beauty brands across Indonesia increasingly rely on physical shelf space to protect margins against rising digital acquisition costs.

    Offline distribution networks remain essential for consumer conversion in Southeast Asia, where physical storefronts and modern trade outlets still generate the bulk of personal care purchases. Securing shelf space in multi-brand retail chains gives local brands immediate access to foot traffic outside major metropolitan centres.

    Direct brand competition in Southeast Asia

    Venture investors continue backing local beauty startups in Indonesia, betting that domestic brands can defend domestic market share against legacy multinational operators. Similar consumer brand funding rounds across the region have targeted supply chain localization and regional export capabilities into neighbouring markets such as Malaysia and Vietnam.

    RetailNews Asia tracking shows that homegrown beauty labels in Jakarta face steepening competition for floor space in premium shopping malls and modern trade outlets. The next operational test for Rose All Day Cosmetics will be proving its unit economics across physical retail partners while managing regional inventory rollouts.

  • South Korea’s APR Targets W500b in Europe After First-Half Sales Surge

    South Korea’s APR Targets W500b in Europe After First-Half Sales Surge

    South Korean beauty company APR raised its full-year European sales target to 500 billion won ($358 million) after regional revenue jumped 363 per cent in the first half of 2026.

    European sales reached 228.9 billion won ($163.8 million) during the six-month period, accounting for roughly 17 per cent of the Seoul-based firm’s total revenue.

    Amazon Stores and Sephora Shelves

    Online momentum built quickly after APR launched official storefronts on Amazon in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain late last year. Average monthly sales across those five country portals grew more than eightfold between January and June, lifted by demand during Amazon’s Prime Day event.

    Physical retail followed a parallel trajectory. APR secured shelf space at Sephora in March, driving its first-half offline revenue in Europe up more than ninefold compared with the same period a year earlier. To support the retail push, the company increased its available stock-keeping units in the region by more than five times.

    Korean Beauty Footprint Abroad

    The European push shows how quickly Asian beauty brands can convert digital traction into physical shelf space once regional distribution networks open up. While domestic Korean cosmetics demand remains steady, major operators in Seoul increasingly rely on Western department store chains and global e-commerce portals to absorb rising production volumes.

    APR is preparing to open dedicated Amazon storefronts in additional European countries while negotiating terms with regional department stores and specialty beauty chains to widen its physical distribution network before the end of the year.

  • Weleda Expands Skin Food Line into Clinical Skincare and Daily Care

    Weleda Expands Skin Food Line into Clinical Skincare and Daily Care

    Swiss natural beauty producer Weleda plans to expand its flagship Skin Food franchise into medical-grade skincare and daily personal care across global markets. The century-old product line generates approximately 20 per cent of Weleda’s global turnover, led by sales in Australia, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

    First formulated in 1926 using chamomile, calendula, rosemary, and viola tricolor, the original multi-use cream remained unchanged for decades. The company has since adapted the blend into night creams, body oils, lip care, and face serums. A dedicated eye cream recently joined the range, with a hand wash and hand lotion scheduled to roll out in the first quarter of 2026.

    New Categories and Clinical Formulations

    Weleda is collaborating with professional makeup artists to refine formulas for high-definition photography and screen production. Beyond cosmetic skin prep, the group has initiated longer-term research and development targeting chronic dermatological conditions.

    Over the next five to ten years, Weleda plans to test Skin Food formulations for acne, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis. Jayn Sterland, Country Manager for the UK and Ireland, noted that product development will hinge on regulatory compliance across different jurisdictions. The company is also working on mineral UV protection formulations, though executives confirmed those products remain in testing.

    Packaging Shifts and Digital Demand

    Supply chain adjustments accompany the product rollout. Weleda has transitioned its packaging back to aluminium tubes, replacing temporary post-consumer recycled plastic with 100 per cent recycled aluminium worldwide.

    In Asian retail channels, where multi-step skincare routines dominate department stores and specialty beauty chains, multi-purpose European heritage creams have found a distinct niche. While traditional drugstores stock the core green tubes, growth in Japan and Southeast Asia is shifting toward digital platforms. Social media campaigns on TikTok have drawn younger consumers who bypass brick-and-mortar shelves entirely.

    Regulatory filings for the first wave of therapeutic claims across international beauty registries will determine how quickly Weleda can clear its clinical skincare line for retail distribution.

  • Asian Teams Secure Four of Six Finalist Spots in L’Oréal Brandstorm

    Asian Teams Secure Four of Six Finalist Spots in L’Oréal Brandstorm

    Asian teams took four of the six global finalist spots at the 34th L’Oréal Brandstorm competition at Vivatech, following pitches drawn from 400,000 proposals across 64 countries.

    The competition centered on luxury fragrance innovation, drawing record participation from Gen Z applicants across Asia who pitched formats ranging from artificial intelligence formulations to wearable scent patches.

    New Formats and Layering Concepts

    Contestants focused on shifting perfume away from standard alcohol spray bottles. Finalist entries incorporated primary packaging designed for fragrance layering, skin patch applicators, and AI tools built to reconstruct scent memories.

    Although the United States team won the overall competition with a melting patch concept called Capturé, Asian teams dominated the final stage. The trend reflects a broader consumer shift across Asian markets, where younger buyers are adopting fragrance wardrobes and personalized scent layering practices traditionally concentrated in the Middle East.

    Green Extraction and Sensory Tech

    L’Oréal used the Paris show to highlight Osmobloom, an air-capture extraction technology developed through a nine-year partnership with Cosmo International Fragrances. The solvent-free process extracts volatile scent molecules from flowers without heat or water, preserving delicate plant structures.

    The group also revealed 12 custom scents developed for the Dataland museum in Los Angeles, pairing algorithmic art with sensor-equipped diffusion necklaces that release fragrances based on visitor movement.

    For retailers and beauty operators across Asia-Pacific, the competition results point to where product pipelines are heading: portable application formats, waterless extraction, and customizable scent wardrobes built for first-time luxury fragrance buyers.

  • Loft Returns to Hong Kong with 3,500-Product Pop-Up at Moko

    Loft Returns to Hong Kong with 3,500-Product Pop-Up at Moko

    Japanese lifestyle chain Loft returned to Hong Kong on August 22, opening a 3,500-product pop-up store at the Moko shopping mall in Mong Kok.

    The one-year temporary location is run by local retail operator Yaichi under a pricing model pegged directly to Japanese domestic rates. The store carries inventory across stationery, cosmetics, homeware, gifts and seasonal items, reviving the Japanese brand’s presence in the territory following an earlier exit.

    Merchandise lineup and price matching

    Yaichi built the retail concept around a Japan Price Match guarantee to counter gray-market importers and cross-border shopping. The outlet stocks exclusive items including the Loft Limited Tote Bag, B-Side Label vinyl stickers, and beauty lines such as Vim Beauty, a cosmetics label developed by Japanese creator Marilyn.

    Alongside shelf pricing, the operator rolled out a dedicated membership tier called Yaichi Loft Tomo. The programme offers members discounted pricing and promotional perks during the pop-up’s stay at the Sun Hung Kai Properties-owned retail complex.

    Testing demand through local franchise partners

    Japanese variety and lifestyle chains have adjusted their overseas playbooks across Greater China, using franchise and distribution partners rather than heavy direct capital investments. Loft previously opened its first direct flagship in Shanghai in mid-2020, but the Hong Kong format relies entirely on Yaichi to manage local stock and lease commitments.

    The Moko pop-up is scheduled to trade through August 2027, giving the brand a 12-month window to gauge consumer response before committing to permanent standalone stores in the city.

  • Coty Full-Year Revenue Drops Five per Cent to US$5.8 Billion Ahead of Gucci License Loss

    Coty Full-Year Revenue Drops Five per Cent to US$5.8 Billion Ahead of Gucci License Loss

    Coty posted a five per cent decline in full-year net revenue to US$5.8 billion as the beauty group prepares to surrender its lucrative Gucci license.

    Fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA dropped 26 per cent to US$93.6 million, dragging operating margins down 270 basis points to 7.4 per cent. Like-for-like sales in the final quarter slipped one per cent to US$1.3 billion, prompting Coty shares to fall 7 per cent in after-hours trading after management withheld financial guidance for fiscal 2027.

    Markus Strobel, Coty executive chairman and interim chief executive, designated fiscal 2027 a transition year focused on lowering fixed overheads. The departure of Gucci Beauty will trigger an additional drop in revenue and profit in fiscal 2028.

    Fixed costs and new fragrance licenses

    Management plans to counter the Gucci exit by cutting fixed corporate costs and expanding newer licensing contracts. The pipeline relies on cosmetics under Marc Jacobs Beauty alongside fragrance agreements with Swarovski, Etro and Marni.

    GlobalData managing director Neil Saunders noted that replacing Gucci volume requires stronger performance from remaining prestige lines, especially across department stores and travel retail networks. Retail OCD chief executive Barney Stacher cautioned that cost reductions cannot compensate for weak brand heat across mass colour cosmetics lines such as CoverGirl, Rimmel and Max Factor.

    Mass beauty shelf pressure

    Fragrance sales continue to generate cash across Asian metropolitan markets, but Coty’s mass cosmetics portfolio faces intense shelf competition from nimble regional and domestic beauty labels. Rebuilding brand visibility in physical retail and digital storefronts requires targeted product development rather than broad promotional discounting, according to Pepperdine Graziadio Business School marketing professor Kimber Maderazzo.

    Coty will deliver the final decisions from its strategic review of the Consumer Beauty unit by the end of 2026 before the Gucci transition takes effect in fiscal 2028.

  • Adore Beauty Expands Physical Network to 20 Stores in Omnichannel Shift

    Adore Beauty Expands Physical Network to 20 Stores in Omnichannel Shift

    Adore Beauty opened 13 physical stores during fiscal 2026. The Melbourne online retailer now has 20 locations across Australia.

    This expansion more than doubled its brick-and-mortar footprint. The brand had operated primarily as a pureplay digital platform for 26 years.

    Store Rollout Across Two Banners

    Openings included 11 flagship Adore Beauty storefronts and two locations under the IKOU brand. Group management committed tens of millions of dollars during the year to fund retail leases, supply chain infrastructure and expanded warehouse capacity.

    Those physical storefronts trade alongside the digital platform. Customer retention efforts helped expand the Adore Rewards loyalty program to 538,000 active participants during the financial year.

    Shifting Channel Economics

    Pureplay online beauty retailers across the Asia-Pacific region face climbing digital customer acquisition costs. Physical networks give digital operators direct access to foot traffic and higher-margin basket sizes, mirroring omnichannel rollouts across regional markets.

    Another five physical stores are scheduled to open as the company builds out its national retail pipeline.