Key Takeaways:
At BeautyMatter’s inaugural State of Play: Retail Roundtable, the mood was clear: Retail is evolving faster than ever, and not all players are keeping up. What once served as a brand's final stop on the path to the consumer has become the starting point for meaningful brand discovery, conversion, and long-term value.
Led by BeautyMatter co-founder and President John Cafarelli, the panel gathered industry veterans shaping the retail narratives from both sides of the Atlantic: Noah Rosenblatt, President of omni-retailer BeautySpace; Kelly St. John, founder and CEO of KSJ Collective and former Neiman Marcus executive; and Millie Kendall OBE, CEO of The British Beauty Council.
Together, the guests unpacked the new rules of retail—where shelf space is earned, partnerships are paramount, and old playbooks have become outdated.
Access Point to Experience Platform
“Retail has gone from being a distribution endpoint to the most strategic and defining touchpoint in the consumer journey,” said Cafarelli, opening the discussion. In 2025, that “shelf” is no longer limited to one format—digital, physical, or hybrid.
BeautySpace, with its 700 points of distribution spanning from Bloomingdale’s to Walmart, perfectly embodies this shift. “We’re meeting consumers when, where, and how they want to shop,” said Rosenblatt. But while reach is essential, relevance is everything. “It’s not about being everywhere. It’s about becoming important where you are.”
Pricing thresholds, assortment curation, and speed of delivery matter across retail tiers, but the strongest brands, Rosenblatt argued, are those that perform across formats and price points without compromising their identity.
The Shrinking Path to Shelf
The climb into retail has become steeper and narrower for emerging brands. “There was a time when proving yourself in a handful of luxury doors could build serious momentum,” said St. John. “But that bar is now much higher.”
Now, department stores are contracting, and competition is intensifying. Brands are expected to arrive retail-ready, with strong margins, operational discipline, and visible proof of consumer demand. “It’s not enough to have a beautiful product,” she said. “Retailers are looking for audience, engagement, and community.”
Consolidation in the US has also created tunnel vision around the big names, including Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Target, and Amazon. However, St. John sees value in more curated paths. “Retailers like Credo, The Detox Market, Cos Bar, and Bluemercury offer discovery and differentiation. Even players like Revolve and Shopbop are emerging as meaningful e-commerce channels.”
Lessons from Across the Pond
Kendall explained that the UK retail landscape tells a very different story. British Department stores such as Liberty, Selfridges, and Harrods have retained a powerful grip on consumers by never losing their traditional personalities, yet still adapting to modern trends and consumer desires. “You want the yellow bag from Selfridges, the green bag from Harrods. These are stores with built-in identity—and the shopping experience reflects that,” she said.
While Brexit and rising tariffs have pressured British beauty brands' businesses, domestic distribution has become a renewed focus. Retailers like Boots have responded with innovation programs like Ignite, designed to incubate indie brands. “For such a large organization, parts of Boots operate in a surprisingly nimble, modern way,” Kendall said. “They blend heritage with experimentation—and that’s working.”
The Ulta Beauty x SpaceNK Inflection Point
The panel unanimously agreed that Ulta Beauty’s recent acquisition of SpaceNK was a transformative moment that blended scale with sophistication. “Ulta [Beauty] gets curation. SpaceNK gets reach,” said St. John. “It opens the door for early-stage brands to reach wider audiences without compromising positioning.”
Rosenblatt, who previously held a position on the SpaceNK executive team, sees the deal as a global unlock. “SpaceNK was often described as the Sephora of the UK—brand exclusives, curated edits, and trusted experience. Now, Ulta [Beauty] gets a closer view into what made that formula work.”
Kendall saw the acquisition as a full-circle moment. “SpaceNK was founded to bring American brands to the UK. Now it’s an American retailer taking SpaceNK global.”
Scaling Smart: The Cost of Staying on Shelf
While distribution is a major milestone, it’s not the finish line. “Getting into retail is easy. Sell-through is the hard part,” said Rosenblatt.
Brands that succeed are those that stay focused. “Not every retailer is for every brand. Speed and innovation matter—but you don’t need five new launches every quarter.” Founders, he said, must maintain relevance, community engagement, and retail-specific support.
Retailers expect more than they did last year. More proof of concept, more investment, more activation, St. John explained, emphasizing that exclusivity—often seen as a golden ticket—comes with trade-offs. “If a retailer asks for a three-year exclusive, you’d better be sure they’re fully invested in your brand’s success. Otherwise, you’re just limiting your own runway.”
Department Stores, Talent, and the Road Ahead
As retail strategies continue to evolve, so do talent needs, particularly in department stores. “We need to make the shop floor aspirational again,” said Kendall. “In the ‘90s, it was the best job you could have. Today, it’s less welcoming. That needs to change.”
Rosenblatt noted that personalization is the key to reaching this goal, not just for consumers, but for employees too. “We tailor education, gratis, and brand training to what motivates each associate. That’s helped us retain talent even in big box environments.”
Amazon, Indie, and the New Metrics of Success
With Amazon now crowned the #1 beauty retailer in the US, the panelists saw opportunity, not threat. “Amazon builds brand awareness. That awareness fuels discovery across channels,” said Rosenblatt. “We watch trends there closely—and we try to beat them to shelf in brick-and-mortar.”
Ultimately, whether a brand scales through Sephora or Shopbop, SpaceNK or Boots, one truth remains: shelf space is no longer guaranteed, and retail readiness is non-negotiable. In 2025, beauty retail is not about where you are—it’s about why you’re there, how you show up, and who you’re serving. From London to Los Angeles, this is the only roadmap that matters.
