TheIndustry.beauty held its debut summit, Beauty [Un]Bound, bringing together some of the UK’s most forward-thinking beauty leaders for a day of networking, insight and strategic thinking. Hosted at The Forum in London in partnership with logistics expert Bleckmann, the programme of panel discussions, keynote interviews and expert presentations explored the forces shaping the future of beauty retail.

Attendees included representatives from Space NK, Harrods, Lush, Shiseido, Medik8, Aesop, Neal’s Yard Remedies, Rituals, Clarins, Philip Kingsley, Neom Wellbeing, Bio Sculpture, Elemis, Fenwick, L’Occitane, Thim Beauty, Gatineau and Jo Loves. Speakers came from Boots, The Estée Lauder Companies, Kiko Milano, Holland & Barrett, Douglas, Sarah Chapman and Diptyque, alongside sponsors Noatum Logistics, Flixmedia, SoPost and Outform.

Session highlights

• Keynote interview: Margaret Mitchell, Kiko Milano - Mitchell, who joined Kiko Milano this summer from Space NK as Executive Vice President for North and Central Europe and Global Commercial Strategy, discussed the brand’s omnichannel growth opportunity across its 70 markets. She noted that many brands go viral but struggle to sustain that momentum: “Trends change and move quickly, so brands have to decide whether to chase them or stay focused on what they do best. It’s not one or the other - it’s a bit of both.”
• Noatum Logistics: building supply chains behind better customer experiences - Head of Airfreight Laura Odell said brands need facilities designed for scalability, so capacity can increase quickly during a viral moment or seasonal spike. “Loyalty can be won or lost in those post-purchase moments,” she said.
• Holistic Horizons: wellness and beauty - Global Wellness Expert Rose Ferguson, Diome founder Jianne Jamil and Holland & Barrett Beauty Category Director Vicky Kelly explored the convergence of wellness and beauty, with customers shopping by concern rather than category. The panel highlighted the microbiome, nervous system regulation, community, emotional wellbeing and personalisation as key future trends.
• Flixmedia: beauty content that convinces the human and the machine - Chief Commercial Officer Chris Grimason said customisation, usage instructions, before-and-after images, benefit statements and eco-friendly messaging are among the factors that data suggests can boost dwell time. “There’s a disconnect between what the brand thinks works and what actually works for the customer,” he said.
• Outform: beauty retail at the speed of culture - Clare Cryer, VP Growth EMEA, said 60% of shoppers visit stores for inspiration and 82% say the ability to easily compare products is an important driver of purchase. She was joined by Donna Regii, Vice President of Beauty, who raised the idea of stores as platforms rather than destinations.
• Bleckmann: supply chain strength and scale - Stephanie von Albert, Chief Assortment & Purchasing Officer at Douglas, which spans 22 countries and 1,900 stores, joined Lewe Goldmann, Group Operations Director at Cloud Nine, and Isabel Schoormans, Client Service Manager at Bleckmann, to discuss managing scale, demand fluctuations, omnichannel experiences and reducing returns through education.
• Hyper-growth, high identity - Colette Laxton, co-founder of The Inkey List, Marina Kalenchyts, co-founder of Wonderskin, and Billie Faricy-Hyett of Cult Beauty, Lookfantastic and Dermstore discussed building hyper-growth brands. “You can’t build a brand around one product, but you can start with one product and then build around it,” said Kalenchyts.
• SoPost: your media plan is broken - Founder and CEO Jonathan Grubin and Luke Evans, VP and GM for Estée Lauder, Tom Ford, AERIN and Aramis, discussed the role of product sampling. According to the session, 42% of UK marketers worry they are wasting budget because they lack visibility into results, and 85% of impressions don’t last long enough to create recall or drive purchase.
• The iconic advantage - Evans explored how premium and luxury brands stay distinctive and desirable, as Estée Lauder celebrates its 80th anniversary. “The beauty industry is flying. It’s all about the product - giving people a spark, energy and excitement,” he said.
• Resonance and relevance - Grace Vernon, Head of Boots Ignite, Foresight and Trends, explained that Boots Ignite identifies brands through trend spotting and data from TikTok, Instagram and Google searches, but that gut feel also matters. Emma Dawson, CEO of Vieve, discussed the brand’s customer-first strategy and considered distribution.
• The Luxury Imperative - Amanda Morgan, Managing Director UK at Diptyque, and skincare specialist Sarah Chapman closed the day discussing luxury, heritage and distinction. “Luxury is about precision and attention to detail. It’s about providing a highly personalised service,” said Chapman.

For more information, visit theindustry.beauty.