Baird's Takeaways from WWD's 2025 Beauty CEO Summit
We recently attended the WWD Beauty CEO Summit in New York. The theme this year was “The New Leadership Mandate: The Issues, Innovators and Insights,” which seemed to be particularly timely given how difficult the current environment is for many. Indeed, many beauty industry players entered 2025 hoping for smoother waters, with expectations for a stronger economic backdrop coupled with a more favorable regulatory environment here in the U.S. Globally, the hope for the beauty industry was that after years of sluggish growth in China and travel retail, 2025 might be a year of recovery.
However, this does not appear to be the case, with macro headwinds now looking to be far more negative than anyone anticipated. While many at the conference seemed hopeful that trade talks would soon offer some relief regarding tariffs (and indeed, in the day post the conference, progress was being made to this end), most agreed that given high levels of uncertainty – about both costs and consumer spending – 2025 is setting up to be another complex and challenging year.
In this update, we share some of the most notable themes identified during the two day summit, including:
- “Uncertainty” is a More Troubling Word Than “Tariff” for Many in the Beauty Industry
- Service Remains the Key to Success for Brick & Mortar Retailers in the World of Beauty
- “Virality” is Exciting, but Building a Brand for the Longer-term is More Important for Most
- Analytics is Important (and Using AI Can Help a Lot), But so are Creativity and Gut Instinct
- Teens Continue to Drive Growth in Beauty – Across Categories and Distribution Channels
To discuss further, contact a member of our Beauty & Wellness team.
