Deerfield, IL
Sales: $750 million
Key Personnel: Rosalind Brewer, CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance; Ornella Barra, director of operations, international, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.; James Kehoe, executive vice president/global chief financial officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.; Danielle Gray, Executive Vice President/Global Chief Legal Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.; Holly May, Executive Vice President/Global Chief Human Resources Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.; Anita Allemand, director of transformation and integration, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.; John Standley, executive vice president of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. and president of Walgreens; Sebastian James, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Boots; Annie Murphy, Senior Vice President, Global Head of International Retail and Trademarks; Aaron Radelet, Senior Vice President, Global Director of Communications; Charles V. Greener, SVP, Global Director of Public Affairs; Carlos Cubia, SVP/Chief Global Diversity Officer; Francesco Tinto, Senior Vice President/Global Chief Information Officer; Dr. Mike Bell, director of scientific research for Walgreens Boots Alliance; Anisha Raghavan, Executive Director of NA, Number 7
Main Products: Cosmetics, skin care and personal care. Brands include No7, Liz Earle Beauty, Soap & Glory, Botanics, Sleek Makeup, Your Good Skin.
New Products: No7 Pure Retinol 1% Retinol Night Concentrate, No7 The Menopause Skincare Collection
Comments: No7 Beauty Company, part of the Walgreens Boots Alliance, formally launched in April 2021. It is home to the iconic No7 line, as well as Liz Earle Beauty Co., Soap & Glory, Botanics, Your Good Skin and Sleek MakeUP . In total, its portfolio of beauty brands is available online and at more than 20,000 retail outlets in 16 markets around the world.
It’s been a busy first year since the new lineup was announced. From May 2021:
No7 launched its first direct-to-consumer website in the UK, offering beauty diagnostic tools and virtual consultations. Launched a Skin School beauty consultant training programme, in association with the University of Manchester. Liz Earle Beauty Co. joined the Union of Ethical Bio Trade. No7 released in Australia, available exclusively at Priceline stores nationwide. Soap & Glory is launched in mainland China. The entire Soap & Glory range was Cruelty Free International approved ‘Leaping Bunny’. Liz Earle Beauty Co. received Carbon Neutral status. Launched its first Christmas range to market, featuring 175 plastic-free gift sets from No7, Soap & Glory and Liz Earle Beauty Co. Launched No7 Beauty Company’s Creator Collective, working in partnership with content creators for online self-care education of the skin. Relaunch of No7 skincare and cosmetics with PCR packaging.
More recently, No7 and the University of Manchester published research that provided insight into changes in the skin and epidermal barrier during menopause. The research uncovered insights into how declining estrogen levels affect the epidermis and stratum corneum (skin barrier), specifically exploring how menopause and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) affect these outer skin layers. The research appeared in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Previously, little was known about how the living epidermis and stratum corneum change during menopause, even though these upper skin layers are essential for healthy, hydrated skin. This study compared the skin of 28 women who were premenopausal (7 women), postmenopausal (11 women), or postmenopausal and taking HRT (10 women). The study found differences in the skin of premenopausal women compared to postmenopausal women, but also particularly how the use of HRT can help minimize these menopause-related changes. Importantly, this also confirms that changing hormone levels contribute to the skin differences measured in this study. The study found that in postmenopausal skin, compared to premenopausal skin, the skin barrier (stratum corneum) was thicker; there were changes in skin elasticity that correlated more with epidermal changes than deeper changes in the skin; a protein called CD44 that is involved in hydration, lipid synthesis and skin renewal was reduced; and the amount of ceramide in the epidermis was lower. These changes were not seen to the same extent in the postmenopausal HRT group, suggesting that HRT may minimize, but not completely mitigate, these changes, the researchers said.
WBA put that research into practice; the No7 brand in late June launched a line dedicated to menopausal skin that will be sold at Walgreens, Ulta, Walmart and Target.
Financially, the WBA beauty business is accounted for in its retail operations. In the US, WBA’s retail sales decreased 0.4% in fiscal year 2021 and represented 24.2% of segment sales. However, comparable retail sales rose 1.2%, driven primarily by health and wellness, including favorable vitamin and covid-19 at-home testing, and beauty categories partially offset by continued de-emphasis in tobacco. International retail sales increased 5.5% and represented 30.4% of the segment’s sales. The favorable impact of currency translation on retail sales was 6.5 percentage points. Comparable retail sales in constant currency rose 2.0%, reflecting higher retail sales in the UK and Ireland, including a recovery during the second half of the year, as covid-19 restrictions eased, the WBA said. .
Source: www.happi.com