Target Needs to Give Center Stage to Indie Beauty Brands

Ashley Ruiz

LOS ANGELES , May 4, 2018 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) – As if we need another reason to go to Target.

After hearing the news that Target is adding 163 new beauty products from both well-known and indie brands throughout this spring, I rushed to the store to find some of the lesser-known brands I've been covering—such as Canadian skin-care brand Rebels Refinery, cruelty-free brand Profusion Cosmetics and organic skin-care brand Plant Apothecary. At first glance, I didn't find any of them. Instead, I saw an aisle lined with prominent displays for L'Oréal, Maybelline, NYX, Covergirl and ELF Cosmetics. 

Then, I scanned the "new and now" section, thinking that I'd find at least one indie brand there. But all I found were more big-name brands, like Clorox Company’s Burt’s Bees, Pacifica and Unilever’s Love Beauty And Planet. I finally spotted a forlorn “natural beauty” section tucked snugly next to a display for Jessica Alba’s Honest Beauty in the skin-care aisle. There were three shelves that housed a few indie brands, including Sailor By Captain Blankenship and Bean Body, but it was easy to miss.

Recently, Target announced that it will be home to eight additional indie brands specializing in multicultural products starting May 20. While this is great news, the hope is that Target will get better at displaying these small-name brands—which include Coloured Raine, EveryHue, Haleys Beauty, Hue Noir, The Lip Bar, Makeup Geek, Reina Rebelde, Violet Voss—so the average consumer can discover these products for themselves without having to conduct a thorough search.

Shining a light on these brands isn’t just good for the consumer, but could potentially benefit both the brands and Target by garnering new and familiar customers. That’s a moot point, though, if no one knows where to find it.

So, Target, if you're listening, keep the indie brands coming, but give them their own section so that consumers can actually appreciate you throwing a bone to the underdog (and you can reap the benefits)! 

Ashley Ruiz is a beauty expert for Industry Intelligence, which can help YOU better address your own industry challenges. We invite you to come take a look at our service. Call us today at 310-553-0008 and we’ll schedule you for a 15-minute demo.

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