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60% of US retail professionals say charging customers for returns has resulted in an increase of adoption in their free return methods, while 54% say it has cut down on return rates, according to a September 2024 survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Happy Returns.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps retailers and brands calibrate their sales mix against the market.

The trend: Food manufacturers are pledging to remove artificial dyes from their products amid pressure from US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. Kraft Heinz said it would phase out artificial coloring in products sold in the US by 2027. General Mills quickly followed, announcing that it would eliminate artificial dyes across its full US portfolio by 2027, and remove them from all cereals and foods served in K-12 schools by next summer. Both Nestl茅 and Conagra are joining the party. Nestl茅 pledged to 鈥渇ully eliminate [food, drug, and cosmetic dye] colors in its US food and beverage portfolio by mid-2026,鈥� and Conagra will stop using such dyes in its frozen foods by year-end, and in all products by the end of 2027. Our take: For most companies, removing artificial dyes from their product lineups is a fairly easy lift, as many have already done so in Europe. It鈥檚 also increasingly a necessary move to prevent private labels from encroaching further on their turf, as more retailers launch 鈥渇ree from鈥� lines and pledge to remove ingredients like aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup from their store brands.

The news: Ulta Beauty acquired upscale UK beauty retailer Space NK for an undisclosed amount, the company said, as it turns to new markets to offset slowing US growth. Our take: The US beauty market is becoming increasingly saturated as more retailers lean on the category to boost sluggish sales. While expanding to new markets comes with its own set of challenges, Ulta鈥檚 decision to rely on acquisitions and distribution partnerships will help smooth its path.

Global gains power L鈥橭r茅al past expectations as US market cools: CEO Nicolas Hieronimus flagged slowing beauty demand and US retailer constraints but noted the brand is well positioned to handle tariff-driven disruptions.

Walmart dominated the US retail landscape in 2024: The mass merchant鈥檚 ability to offer savings and convenience won over shoppers, and its growing ecommerce and advertising businesses are helping it make inroads against Amazon.

K-beauty demand is soaring: South Korea outpaced France as the top source of US cosmetics imports in 2024.

This is the first installment of our 鈥凌别迟补颈濒 and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps retailers calibrate their sales mix against the market.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our 鈥凌别迟补颈濒 and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.