On Monday, November 15, Landing CEO Sarah Chung was joined by Jeannie Jarnot, CEO and founder of Beauty Heroes and Elena Severin, senior director of merchandising at The Detox Market, to discuss the future of clean beauty in retail at Glossy’s Clean Beauty Summit. The panel discussed shifting clean beauty standards, customer expectations, and common mistakes that brands make when pitching their products to buyers. Here’s a recap of our top five takeaways from the discussion.
Clean Beauty Is About More Than Ingredients
The clean beauty movement started over a decade ago as consumers became more and more concerned about potentially toxic ingredients lurking in their beauty products. But today, having a clean ingredient list isn’t enough: retailers and consumers alike are seeking out brands that meet a larger code of ethics, including sustainable practices, ethical sourcing, responsible supply chain, and inclusive company culture.
Standards are Always Shifting
Both Severin and Jarnot agreed that they are constantly adjusting their standards as new research emerges and consumer expectations shift. As knowledge sharing and transparency increases, so does retailer responsibility. Severin stressed that at The Detox Market, they try not to be reactive but actually dig into the science before they jump to a conclusion about an ingredient.
100% Compliance Is Essential
Severin and Jarnot agreed that it’s important for brands to meet their standards across every SKU in their assortment–regardless of whether or not all products are carried in their stores. The simple reasoning? Retailers don’t want to be put in the difficult position of explaining to customers why some of your products are not available.
Many Brands Apply, Few Comply
The Detox Market received well over 1000 submissions last year. A whopping 85-90% of the brands that applied for inclusion in their doors simply didn’t meet their clean standards. Of the small number that did comply, only 27 were launched at the retailer. That’s an acceptance rate of just 2.7%.
Relationships Take Time
Both Jarnot and Severin noted that it’s important for brands to approach retailers with the intention of building a relationship. Brands need to clearly communicate who they are and have a considered perspective on why they are a good fit for their target retailer. Some brands, they said, may not be launched until over a year after their initial pitch email. In that year, it’s important to build trust and a sense of partnership.
Looking to break into a clean beauty retailer but not sure how your brand stacks up against their standards? Our Clean PreCheck tool can help. Get in touch with our team to schedule a demo to learn how our tool can help you build your clean retailer strategy.
