John Aylward

https://lnkd.in/gUxzz5E6 Most retail accelerators for indie beauty brands are missing one critical thing: Long-term commitment. Over the past few years we’ve seen a wave of funding and incubator programs aimed at helping underserved Black and Brown founders break into retail. It's incredibly important work. But a one-time grant or accelerator program doesn’t prepare a brand for what actually happens after entering retail that include inventory pressure, cash flow strain, marketing demands, and velocity expectations. What founders really want is an ecosystem of support that lasts beyond the initial check. That’s where retailers like Ulta Beauty have a real opportunity to differentiate themselves from competitors like Sephora. I appreciate Erica La Sala for hearing my voice and sharing it inside this recent article from Beauty Independent. Read the full article by clicking the link. Curious to hear from others: What support actually makes the biggest difference when entering retail?

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Interesting insights on how Signet Jewelers is driving with a clever strategy of using strengths of both natural and lab grown diamonds. In a recent CNBC interview, Symancyk explained why both natural and lab-grown diamonds have strong demand — and it all comes down to price and purpose. 📊 Key Insights 💰 Above $5,000: Customers prefer natural diamonds — they see it as an asset with long-term value. 💞 Below $2,000: Buyers lean toward lab-grown diamonds, especially for engagement rings — it’s about emotional value and affordability. 📈 Market Trends In 2024, 52% of couples chose lab-grown diamonds for their engagement rings. That’s a 40% increase in popularity since 2019. Lab diamonds are chemically identical to mined ones but cost much less — though they have low resale value. 👗 Fashion Boost Lab-grown diamonds are a “category extender” for fashion jewelry. They make diamond jewelry more accessible across income levels. Signet owns brands like Kay Jewelers, Zales, and Jared, and sees lab diamonds as key to growth. 📈 Gold Still Shines Gold hit an all-time high recently. Symancyk says customers understand its value and are willing to invest. 📊 Business Performance Signet beat Wall Street expectations for earnings and revenue. Stock rose 2.74% after the report. 🔍 The takeaway? Natural diamonds = value & legacy Lab-grown diamonds = emotion & access Gold = trust & investment Retail is evolving — and Signet is playing both sides smartly. #SignetJewelers #Diamonds #RetailStrategy #LabGrown #NaturalDiamonds #JewelryTrends #ConsumerInsights 

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This year has been a masterclass in brand reinvention - both the good and the cringe-worthy. There have been lots of visible examples of how (or how not) brands can regain relevance with consumers. Jaguar went full revolution. Cracker Barrel through away tradition and then quickly reverse. American Eagle? They just reminded us why we buy jeans - to look as cool (and sexy) as Sydney Sweeney. Nike's been on more of a slow build since changing CEOs, but the signs are promising. Then again, I think most marketers (unless you work for Adidas) are rooting for Nike. They were a hall of fame branding company for 30 years and I'm still wearing their shoes. Regardless of their recent missteps, though, I still get excited to watch each new Nike spot to see what I can learn (and feel). When I read the headline on this new campaign, I was intrigued - did Nike really go away from "Just Do It?" Is this the perfect example of successful evolution, or a perfect example of disrespecting your DBAs (distinctive brand assets)? When I watched the spot it was even better than I expected. In the spot, "Why do it?" doesn't just ask the question, but gives the answer, and in the end reminds us to "Just Do It." Of course it helps that Nike continues to land the most iconic athletes, but that was never the issue. Nike's missteps had more to do with focus - they thought they could outsmart the competition by going all-in on digital and direct-to-consumer, but ended up outsmarting themselves. Funny for a brand that was never about intelligence - always about effort and performance. Campaigns alone are not going to fix the business, but they are at least signs that Nike's regained its focus and hopefully its grip on consumers. The real test, however? Performance.

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How do you find a reliable textile manufacturer for your apparel business? Katya Eckert of A DOMANI weighs in. Katya shares her favorite red flags to look out for in her behind-the-scenes look at apparel manufacturing, how to determine the right fabric, and much more. Check out Customer Growth Sessions to hear the full episode. You can find us on all major podcasting platforms. Just search "Customer Growth Sessions A Domani" to find the episode.

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Khurrum Malik of Walmart Connect suggests that retail media is evolving into a significant brand creative opportunity. I have summarized the article below --- the link below will take you to the full article on The Drum - Beyond Transactional: Historically seen as a sales-closing tool, retail media is now a creative playground for marketers, recognized by Cannes Lions with a new award subcategory. - Full-Funnel Potential: Retail media networks offer premium placements, rich formats, and full-funnel reach, powered by first-party data. This allows for: o Brand Awareness: Homepage takeovers, CTV, social, and influencer content. o Consideration: Contextual ads, personalized recommendations, and brand shops. o Conversion: Sponsored Search ads. o Combined CTV and Search ads increased purchase likelihood by 39% for brand-switchers. - Unleashing Creativity: Marketers should move beyond basic approaches to build captivating, inspiring full-funnel experiences. o Customer Insights: Use data for hyper-personalized storytelling. o Omnichannel Thinking: Bridge channels and moments (e.g., social commerce, in-store discovery). o Measurable Impact: Utilize closed-loop data and brand lift studies to prove creative effectiveness across the journey. - Empowering Smaller Brands: AI automates creative solutions, and platforms like Walmart Creators make influencer marketing accessible, allowing smaller brands to generate authentic content and improve engagement. - Reimagine Retail Media: Marketers must now view retail media as a starting point for bold ideas and deeper brand experiences, shaping the future of advertising. #retail #retailmedia #shoppers #promotions #thedrum If you would like to view the entire article follow this link: https://bit.ly/3FP2nng

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Ulta has long been one of the winners in US retail. Over the past 20 years, it has grown sales by a whopping 2,200%, adding $10.8 billion in annual revenue. This performance is well beyond the natural growth rate of the beauty market, which expanded by just 85% over the same period. So, it has been achieved by taking a significant amount of share from other retailers. Naturally, the levers that powered Ulta’s rise are becoming harder to pull. The easy wins from department store decline are largely banked. Store expansion is still possible, but new locations are harder to find. Wellness offers opportunities, but not to the same extent as beauty. This why Ulta is looking to overseas markets: the acquisition of Space NK in the UK, the partnership with Grupo Axo in México, and a franchise agreement with Alshaya Group in the Middle East. The smaller scale of these markets means they are not likely to trump Ulta’s US business. Nevertheless, they can be a source of complementary growth and provide opportunities. The partnerships with local businesses sensible. Each market has its own competitive dynamics. In México, for example, 15.1% of beauty sales still flow through department stores, which remain highly popular – a stark contrast to the US, where department stores have been easy prey for Ulta and now hold a slim 6.1% share. Winning internationally will require some recalibration rather than a direct replication of the US model. I chatted with Sabela Ojea for her article in BeautyMatter about the expansion and what lies ahead for Ulta. Link to article in the comments. #retail #retailnews #beauty #personalcare #Ulta #expansion #cosmetics Ulta Beauty

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Modern CMOs are transforming into revenue-driven strategists who integrate marketing, communication, and finance to navigate crises, cultural changes, and cost challenges effectively.

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