Retail
The store as verification in a digitally saturated world
On a recent project I did a deep dive into the biggest trends among emerging and maturing skincare brands.
And what became clear, entirely unsurprisingly, is how saturated the market is.
That’s because the barriers for entry are being removed, and launching a business has never been easier.
TikTok Shop is the best example of this. In 2024 more than $33 billion was spent in TikTok Shop, and somewhere between 70% and 80% of all brands are within the beauty sector.
It’s a veritable beauty pile-on.
A quick search for “skincare” delivers a frantic feed of videos from experienced sellers and influencers to total newbies, some sharing tips, some sharing their favourite brands and others promoting their own.
And whether you’re initiated in this world or not, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed.
Fascinatingly, conversations I then had with retailers revealed that physical stores have taken on a new role in this frantic environment – and one that is likely to grow in importance.
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