Farfetch to acquire e-commerce beauty site Violet Grey
Luxury fashion site Farfetch is set to acquire beauty e-commerce site Violet Grey for an undisclosed sum.
Singer H.E.R. joins L’Oréal Paris as latest Global Ambassador
L’Oréal Paris has announced Grammy Award nominee H.E.R. as its latest Global Ambassador.
Estée Lauder becomes first beauty partner for the UK’s Dancing on Ice 2022 series
Estée Lauder has become the first beauty partner for the UK’s Dancing on Ice 2022 series.
Unilever to trial switch to hydrogen at UK facility
Unilever is piloting the use of hydrogen to power one of its UK-based factories, according to a report published by Bloomberg.
H&M fiscal 2021: 6 percent sales rise takes fashion retailer back to pre-pandemic levels
Hennes & Mauritz has reported its results for fiscal 2021. The high street fashion chain saw sales rise 12 percent in local currencies (+6 percent in SEK) to hit SEK198,967 million thanks to a storming fourth quarter which saw sales return to pre-pandemic levels.
IFF names next CEO
IFF has announced the appointment of Frank Clyburn to succeed Andreas Fibig as CEO and a member of the Board of Directors, effective February 14, 2022. The company will also separate the Chairman and Chief Executive roles, with Dale Morrison assuming the role of non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Marks & Spencer launches into live shopping arena
M&S has announced the launch of Live Shopping on its website, offering customers a new way to find inspiration and shop with the retailer and tapping into the growing livestreaming trend, which is expected to account for 10 to 20 percent of global e-commerce by 2026.
LVMH tops records as organic revenue growth soars 36 percent in 2021
LVMH has recorded revenue of €64.2 billion for fiscal 2021, up 44 percent compared to 2020 and a 20 percent rise on 2019’s figures. Organic revenue growth was 36 percent compared to 2020, and 14 percent compared to 2019.
Givaudan acquires 48 percent stake in Nanovetores Group
Givaudan has acquired a 48 percent stake in the Nanovetores Group in a bid to strengthen its capabilities for active cosmetic ingredients.
Unilever simplifies organisation; expects 1,500 global job losses as part of restructure
Unilever has announced it is to simplify its organisation, to make a more category focused business, which result in thousands of job losses worldwide.
L’Occitane FY2022 Q3 sales grow 9.5 percent; bolstered by strong holiday season
L’Occitane FY2022 Q3 sales grew 13.5 percent at reported rates and 9.5 percent at constant rates, bolstered by a strong holiday season.
Hermès beauty names Gregoris Pyrpylis as new Creative Director
Hermès beauty has named Gregoris Pyrpylis as its new Creative Director, according to WWD.com.
THG value continues to drop as tech loses gloss
THG saw some 20 percent shaved off its share price on Monday as the market continued to shy away from investing in ‘hyped’ technology firms, according to a report published by the Financial Times.
Macron heaps praise on French fashion
French President Emmanuel Macron has emphasized the importance of the French fashion industry to the country’s economy, according to a report published by Reuters.
L’Oréal and Verily partner to advance skin health
L’Oréal and Verily have announced a strategic partnership, exclusive in beauty, to advance skin health.
The Body Shop appoints ex-Estee Lauder retail exec to lead UK operation
The Body Shop has appointed Maddie Smith to lead its UK and Ireland business, succeeding Linda Campbell who is being promoted to Global Retail Director and will sit on the company’s board.
Firmenich signs strategic partnership agreement with Harmay in China
Fragrance and taste company Firmenich has entered into a strategic partnership with Harmay, a retail brand in China.
Loop Industries announces first European Infinite Loop Manufacturing Facility
Loop Industries has announced the selection of a site for its first European Infinite Loop manufacturing facility. Loop and Suez, who have previously announced their intention to form a joint venture, have secured exclusive rights to purchase a 130,000 m2 parcel of land in Normandy, France for €1.3 million.
Ardian buys majority stake in Biofarma
Private equity firm Ardian has snapped up a majority stake in Italy’s Biofarma from White Bridge Investments.
Remington reaffirms Manchester United partnership
Spectrum Brands Holdings and Manchester United have extended their global partnership, which will see Spectrum’s Remington brand continue as the soccer club’s Electrical Styling Partner.
Ren Clean Skincare names new CEO
Unilever-owned Ren Clean Skincare has named Michelle Brett as Chief Executive Officer, WWD reports. Brett replaces Arnaud Meysselle who has left the company to take up the role as CEO of toy company Jellycat, according to his LinkedIn profile.
L’Oréal Men Expert partners with esports brand Fnatic
London-based esports brand Fnatic has announced a partnership with L’Oréal Men Expert. As part of the deal, the duo will develop and deploy engaging and creative content as well as co-branded product activations.
Unilever responds to rumors swirling around GSK deal
Unilever has responded to rumors swirling around a potential purchase of GSK’s Consumer Healthcare unit. The UK-based FMCG giant confirmed that it has approached GSK and Pfizer about a potential acquisition of the business.
British Vogue’s All-African cover hits news stands
British Vogue’s February issue hits news stands today with a cover described as ‘momentous’. The Conde Nast-owned title is celebrating African beauty with nine models descended from the continent, pictured together and separately.
Garnier encourages sustainable consumption with One Green Step campaign
L’Oréal-owned Garnier has produced a video campaign encouraging people to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. The 2022 One Green Step campaign is aimed at removing barriers to turn their good intentions into action.
Berlin Packaging buys Gerfran SAS
Berlin Packaging has announced the acquisition of Gerfran SAS, its 18th such deal in the EMEA region since 2016. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, although it was noted that all employees and locations would be retained post-purchase.
Claire’s names new President for Europe region
Claire’s has named Richard Flint as President of Europe, where he will lead the brand’s business on the continent, focusing on growth across channels in the European market.
Bain and CVC pair up to bid for Boots
Bain Capital and CVC Capital Partners are said to be preparing a joint bid for Walgreens Boots Alliance-owned Boots, according to a report published by the Financial Times, quoting a source ‘with knowledge of the matter’.
Unilever and Estée Lauder Companies joins new Zero100 community-based education and research platform that aims to to advance zero percent carbon
Unilever and The Estee Lauder Companies have joined Zero100 – a new community-based education and research platform that aims to ‘connect, inform and inspire a new generation of leaders inventing Zero Percent Carbon, 100% Digital supply chains.’
London-based start-up Heat raises US$5 million seed funding round led by LVMH Luxury Ventures and Antler
LVMH Ventures and venture capital firm Antler have led the US$5 million seed round for London-based start-up Heat, according to WWD.com.
Beiersdorf invests in digital dermatological appointment start-up dermanostic
Beiersdorf has invested in digital dermatological appointment start-up dermanostic, via its OSCAR&PAUL Beiersdorf Venture Capital unit.
OPI teams up with Xbox in cross-industry collaboration to launch 2022 spring collection
Wella-owned nail brand OPI has teamed up with Xbox in a cross industry partnership that sees the launch of a spring 2022 collection.
Yves Rocher names new CEO
Groupe Rocher has appointed Jean-David Schwartz Chief Executive Officer of its Yves Rocher brand, according to a report published by WWD. Schwatrz replaces Guy Flament who has left the company after 26 years at the helm.
Happier Beauty to develop world’s first refillable toothpaste
British eco-friendly dental brand, Happier Beauty has received a Smart Innovate grant of £150,000 to support the development of what it claims to be the world’s first refillable toothpaste dispenser with biodegradable refill capsules.
Chanel launches clean beauty line ahead of Lunar New Year
Chanel has launched a new beauty line described as ‘a new generation of Beauty’. Dubbed No1 de Chanel, the collection spans the skin care, make-up and fragrance categories and is said to be holistic and environmentally conscious.
Unilever Eyes microbiome space with Holobiome partnership
Unilever has announced a research partnership with Holobiome aimed at discovering food ingredients that can enhance mental health and wellbeing.
Rituals gains B Corp Certification
Rituals Cosmetics has announced that it has become a certified B Corporation.
L’Oréal unveils beauty tech innovations at CES 2022; looks to innovate haircare market
L’Oréal has unveiled its latest beauty tech innovations at CES 2022, unveiling two products for both the at-home and salon hair care markets.
L’Occitane Group venture capital firm invests in digital-native French lingerie brand Lolo Paris
L’Occitane Group’s venture capital firm Obratori has invested in Lolo Paris, a French digital-native lingerie brand, according to WWD.com
Louis Vuitton appoints Youssef Marquis as Fashion Communications Director
Louis Vuitton has named Youssef Marquis as its new Fashion Communication Director.
Dua Lipa files trademark for cosmetics and fashion; set to create lifestyle brand?
Dua Lipa has filed trademarks for hundreds of merchandise, including cosmetics and clothes.
Reckitt Benckiser to sell E45 to Karo Pharma
Reckitt Benckiser has announced the planned sale of its E45 brand and related sub-brands to Karo Pharma for an implied enterprise value of £200 million.
Sisley and Air France open exclusive spa at Paris Charles de Gaulle
Air France and Sisley have cut the ribbon on a new spa located at the airline’s La Premiere Lounge in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport.
Dior names Kylian Mbappe as new face of Sauvage
Dior has announced the appointment of soccer star Kylian Mbappe as Global Ambassador.
Croda to sell Performance Tech and Industrial Chemicals business to Cargill for €915 million
Croda has announced that it has signed an agreement to sell the majority of its Performance Technologies and Industrial Chemicals businesses to Cargill for an enterprise value of €915 million.
Beiersdorf snaps up Chantecaille
Beiersdorf has announced that it has agreed to acquire prestige beauty brand Chantecaille. Terms of the deal were not disclosed although the US brand has been given an enterprise value of between US$590 million and US$690 million, depending on future development of the business.
Selfridges sold to Central Group for estimated £4 billion
British department store chain, Selfridges has been sold to Central Group in a deal said to be valued at £4 billion, according to a report published by Reuters quoting sources close to the matter.
2021 Resilience: Finance
If ever there was a test designed to sort the wheat from the chaff, it was 2020. Some emerged from the pandemic’s salient year bigger and better (looking at you Amazon, LVMH), others, not so much. Indeed, 2021’s results provided an instant litmus test into the health of a given company after 2020 had done its worst. From Q1, we could see those who were bouncing back bigger and better and, in contrast, those who were still struggling.
2021 Resistance: Environment
While most companies pay at least lip service to sustainability, even as planet-friendly has become essential for CPG success, there are those continuing to resist – and that resistance comes in one of two forms: either everything goes suspiciously quiet or, worse, companies shout loudly but their claims don’t stand up to scrutiny.
2021 Resistance: Technology
Pre-pandemic, North America’s digital channel was under developed, especially compared to China and, in some cases, not much has changed. While some have adopted a more sophisticated approach to digital engagement, others have continued to dictate, not engage. This dogged determination to market at, not converse with, their audience won’t wash for long and shoppers have started to scroll on by.
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