The Richness Of Retail Insights

Many of us may be gearing up for the approaching Black Friday cyber circus, but spotting a sobering stat that up to half of clothing bought on websites is returned reminded me how much online shopping costs the environment. I’d wager that much less in the way of beauty gets returned – largely because there’s limited rights to return opened cosmetics – but no doubt most of the products that are sent back go to waste due to hygiene reasons.

I’m keen to know how brands and retailers try to reduce ecommerce return rates in beauty (not least because when items are sent back, so is any commission made via editorial affiliate links…). But, on the other side of the retail fence, I’m also interested in the new wave of investment by brands in bricks-and-mortar selling.

In the most surprising beauty business news of the week, it was just announced that Avon (the OG direct selling beauty model) is to open its first UK stores in its 137-year history, a significant evolution for the brand. Whether it’s this, or Boots’ first beauty-only store that’s coming soon to Battersea Power Station, it’s not often we see standalone coverage of store launches in consumer titles, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to know about your clients’ beauty retail strategies.

The way brands sell reflects broader consumer trends and preferences and can provide insights into shifts in consumer behaviour. It can also speak to innovation (considering what technologies are involved), trends (showcasing exciting New Product Development), and diversity and inclusion (by visually representing the markets they hope to reach).

Even if beauty journos can’t promise much in the way of coverage when it comes to retail news (or make any revenue from it!), it pays to consider how the wider narratives around brand evolutions and their market expansion can be of use to us.