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The Boots Group (Walgreens鈥� international health and beauty retail chain). Zooming in: Walgreens appointed Mike Motz as its next CEO. Motz was previously CEO of Staples US Retail, a Sycamore portfolio company. He also served as president of Shoppers Drug Mart, a pharmacy chain in Canada. Why it matters: Sycamore will likely make retail pharmacy a core priority, despite ongoing headwinds in the sector.

Est茅e Lauder is shedding up to 7,000 jobs, restructuring to address slower China growth and shifting US beauty retail trends. Best Buy has not disclosed headcount reductions, but reported a Q2 $114 million restructuring charge tied to layoffs. Why is this happening? Tariffs are eroding margins, forcing retailers to cut costs.

Respondents were asked, "When starting your search for a product (e.g., clothing, footwear, accessories, luxury, cosmetics, consumer electronics, toys and hobby) where do you typically begin your search?". Methodology: Data is from the December 2024 ESW "Global Voices Survey" in partnership with 蘑菇AV. 18,448 adults ages 18+ worldwide were surveyed during October 20-November 1, 2024.

E.l.f. Beauty has built its brand on democratizing access to beauty products by maintaining affordability in an increasingly expensive market, as well as creating a company culture that values diversity and disruption. This prioritization of diversity stands out as other brands like Target and Walmart roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

The ecommerce giant also launched a low-cost line of essential grocery items, Amazon Saver, in late 2024, with extra discounts for Prime members. The strongest private label retailers draw shoppers to their own brands. Limited-selection retailers (such as warehouse clubs and discount grocers) lean into private label to offer value-focused products and drive customer loyalty to their brands.

The situation: A perfect storm of consumer pullbacks, rising prices from new tariffs, and the suspension of the de minimis tax exemption will drag US ecommerce sales growth this year to its weakest pace since the Great Recession in 2009. We expect US online sales to grow just 5.0% this year in our moderate tariff scenario, which reflects the current policy landscape. That鈥檚 a 3-percentage-point drop from last year. Looking ahead: We expect ecommerce growth to experience a modest rebound to 5.3% growth in 2026. But more headwinds are on the horizon. The tax-and-spending package known as the 鈥淥ne Big Beautiful Bill鈥� will close the de minimis loophole that lets most packages under $800 enter duty-free from countries outside China and Hong Kong. While that will eliminate the possibility of some workarounds, it could also reshape the economics of cross-border ecommerce鈥攁nd place even more strain on platforms, suppliers, and price-sensitive consumers alike.

From supply chain to shopping apps and retail advertising, we deliver daily insights on ecommerce, marketing, and customer experience. Not a subscriber? Sign up here and get our quizzes sent directly to your inbox to see if you can pick a winner. September 3, 2025. True or false? The percentage of US adults who have heard at least a little about Labubus has doubled from June to August.

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

Rare Beauty. Selena Gomez's beauty brand secured third place for its first perfume launch, which featured scented billboards as part of its experiential marketing campaign. The brand also designed the perfume bottle to be accessible for people with limited mobility and dexterity. The rounded bottle is easier to hold, and it features a twist-to-lock cap rather than a removable one.

Ecommerce growth is slowing as the market matures, but gains will come from mobile commerce, Gen Z buyers, and high-performing categories.

The volatile macroeconomic environment is causing most shoppers to be more cautious with their spending, but it鈥檚 also driving a subset to spend more in search of comfort. Roughly 2 in 5 shoppers (38%) say that the current stress of economic uncertainty is making them spend more, according to a June LendingTree survey. Consumers may be choosing to spend more of their money on essentials, but that doesn鈥檛 mean they can鈥檛 be swayed to spend a little extra on the occasional indulgence鈥攑articularly if there鈥檚 an element of novelty, or if the purchase offers a sense of emotional comfort. While the Labubu craze is likely to fizzle out as quickly as it started, shoppers will remain as eager as ever to splurge on small luxuries that bring them satisfaction.

The beauty industry is shifting its approach to aging consumers, moving beyond traditional anti-aging messaging to embrace more inclusive, health-focused approaches. "Ageism is the only 'ism' that every person can experience. Aging is a universal experience," said Jacynth Bassett, founder and CEO of Ageism Is Never In Style, on a recent "Behind the Numbers" podcast.

Est茅e Lauder downplayed the impact of China鈥檚 gray market crackdown on sales, lawsuit alleges: The beauty company is accused of misleading investors about the severity of the headwinds it faced.

A new four-day format for Amazon鈥檚 tentpole event will shake up the playing field.

Consumer spending will be restrained during the 2025 holiday season as shoppers remain cautious amid ongoing economic uncertainty. That means retail and ecommerce will see the slowest growth since we started tracking the metrics.

As tariffs push prices up, consumers are reevaluating their brand loyalties鈥攁nd many are walking away for good. What once felt like long-term relationships are now being tested by sticker shock, with even high-income shoppers turning to discount retailers and finding satisfaction in switching.

To understand how CMOs are transforming their influencer strategies, we interviewed marketing executives Sarah Crockett from DSW, Paul Deacon from Volition Beauty, Jessica Jensen from LinkedIn, Elizabeth Money from B脡IS, Isabel Romero from Metricool, Brit Starr from CreatorIQ, and Nick Tran from Farfetch.

The insight: Amazon is trying to make a bigger name for itself in the luxury sphere鈥攁 strategy that could help soften the blow from tariffs. Our take: That designer brands and retailers are eager to partner with Amazon despite its mixed track record in luxury shows the state of the industry, which is under serious pressure as economic uncertainty saps even affluent consumers鈥� desire to shop. Amazon鈥檚 extensive reach鈥攖hree-quarters of US households are Prime users, per our forecast鈥攁nd ability to drive spending even in times of volatility are making it an increasingly valuable partner for any brand looking to drive sales in an unsettled environment.