Puig; The Body Shop; Guerlain; Sephora

Puig acquires major stake in Dr Barbara Sturm

Puig has acquired a majority stake in the premium German derma skin care brand Dr. Barbara Sturm.

The brand founder Dr. Barbara Sturm is set to retain a minority stake and will continue to lead on NPD as chief product development officer and brand ambassador.

In a press statement, Puig said that the acquisition “reinforces Puig’s competitive position in the premium skincare segment”.

The Body Shop: CEO steps down & Body Shop at Home closes

Following the completion of the brand’s sale to private equity firm Aurelius, The Body Shop’s CEO Ian Bickley has stepped down. According to a report published by RetailWeek​, a new leader will be announced “in due course”.
Meanwhile, The Body Shop has said it is also set to close its The Body Shop At Home service on 23rd​ February.

Sephora UK site sees +705% YoY traffic growth in 2023

LVMH-owned retailer Sephora continues to defy the cost-of-living crisis with strong online sales in the UK, according to data intelligence platform Similarweb.
It released its annual “Digital 100” report – which identified the top 100 digital brands who experienced the highest year-on-year web traffic growth in the UK market in 2023 – and found that LVMH-owned Sephora dominated the ‘Beauty and Cosmetics’ sector with +705% YoY traffic growth, following its re-entry into the UK last year.
Victoria Beckham Beauty was in third place (+101.1%).
Similarweb also said “the popularity of dupes of higher-end products is getting stronger” and as a result, The Essence Vault saw a 94% increase in terms of year-on-year growth and ranked fourth on the list.

Guerlain slammed on social for quantum science-related claims

Guerlain has been criticized on social media for making a claim that its face cream was ‘born from quantum science’.
According to a News in France​ report, the brand claimed its new treatments were based on the field of quantum biology applied to skin cells.
However, a spokesperson for Guerlain also told News in France​, “Guerlain, committed to the good understanding of its message and its research, has therefore decided to re-clarify its communication in order to remove any ambiguity.”