Skincare Unboxed | Shoptalk in Five Headlines 🖐️

Editor’s Pick 🌟

📣 Shoptalk in Five Headlines

From marketplace breakthroughs to AI-driven growth, this year’s Shoptalk brought bold predictions and big product reveals. Here are five key headlines shaping the future of retail and eCommerce:

🧠 AI Moves From Buzzword to Bottom Line
Whether driving smarter search or streamlining supply chains, AI was everywhere—and brands are getting serious about turning innovation into efficiency.

📈 Fospha Launches Halo to Measure DTC’s Impact on Amazon
At Shoptalk, Fospha announced the release of its Halo measurement product, bridging the gap between DTC and marketplace attribution. For the first time, marketers can accurately measure the halo effect of their DTC ads on Amazon sales—unlocking new ways to optimize full-funnel performance.

🛍️ Ulta’s Digital Transformation Is Just Getting Started
Ulta Beauty revealed plans to launch a new marketplace and double down on personalization, backed by Adobe and powered by first-party data from its 44M+ loyalty members.

💎 Pandora Reinvents Modern Luxury
From lab-grown diamonds to in-store storytelling, Pandora is redefining what “premium” means—shifting focus from status to personal meaning.

🌐 Marketplace Momentum Is Rewriting the Growth Playbook
From Walmart to Wayfair to startups, everyone’s betting big on marketplaces to drive assortment expansion, experimentation, and new revenue streams.

💄 Ulta’s Next Big Bet: Marketplaces, AI, and Personalization at Scale

At Shoptalk 2025, ClickZ sat down with Josh Friedman, SVP of Digital & eCommerce at Ulta Beauty, to unpack the retailer’s eCommerce growth strategy—and how it’s staying personal at scale.

Expanding Through Marketplace
Ulta is set to launch a new online marketplace this year, designed to bring in emerging beauty and wellness brands and expand into untapped categories.

“Customers already think of Ulta when they think of wellness,” Friedman said. “We need to show up for that expectation.”

Personalization That Goes Beyond Algorithms
Backed by a strategic partnership with Adobe, Ulta is investing heavily in personalization—using data from its 44M+ loyalty members to deliver relevance across every touchpoint.

Measurement That Connects Channels
With most purchases tied to loyalty data, Ulta tracks customer journeys across digital and physical. The team blends MMM, MTA, and campaign attribution to connect upper-funnel engagement to outcomes—echoing a growing focus on full-funnel measurement.

That’s the same challenge Fospha helps solve—giving brands a clearer view of ROI across fragmented channels and formats.

Expert Opinion 📣

Lessons From Apple’s AI Health Coach

Apple’s upcoming Project Mulberry isn’t just another health-tech upgrade—it’s a signal of where digital trust is headed. By embedding AI-powered health coaching into its Health app and training it on real doctors’ data, Apple is reframing what personalized wellness can look like. For skincare brands, especially those navigating ingredient-conscious and data-savvy consumers, this is more than adjacent news—it’s a strategic blueprint.

Apple isn’t pitching AI as magic. It’s pitching it as medically informed, highly personalized, and grounded in real data from users’ devices. That distinction matters. It turns a digital tool into a trusted companion—one consumers will actually listen to. Skincare brands aiming to personalize experiences or educate on ingredients should take note: personalization alone doesn’t move markets anymore. Credibility does.

This shift opens an opportunity for brands to rethink how they present product benefits, ingredient stories, or even skin diagnostics. What if your AI assistant didn’t just recommend a serum, but explained—based on verified data—why this serum works for your skin barrier right now? What if education felt more like collaboration than marketing?

Recent studies link AI-informed health tools with higher consumer engagement and long-term trust. That insight translates directly to skincare. Brands that pair AI-driven experiences with scientific grounding will win not just conversions, but confidence—across DTC, retail, and omnichannel touchpoints.

Apple’s move into preventative, data-backed health experiences raises the bar for what “smart” looks like. For skincare brands, the lesson is clear: if you want to lead the next wave of beauty innovation, don’t just follow AI trends. Build credibility into the code.

Sector Spotlight 🎥

BEAUTY INNOVATION

Adventure-Ready SPF Stick Lightweight Protection for Every Outdoor Experience

Gun Ana's Multi Guard Stick SPF 50 provides SPF protection with a formula combining oat oil, shea butter, and Vitamin E, catering to adventure and winter sports enthusiasts. This stick is user-friendly, mess-free, and emits a refreshing cucumber-mint scent, offering a compelling solution for skincare-conscious consumers. Its portability and effectiveness make it a valuable addition for marketers targeting outdoor and sports-loving demographics.

BRAND BUILDING

Allies of Skin Elevates Skincare With Clinically Proven Active Ingredients

Allies of Skin is a clinically-focused skincare brand aiming to expand significantly by 2025, capitalizing on innovative formulations and global distribution, including markets in the US, ASEAN, the EU, and Australia. Their focus on potent, efficient products with celebrity endorsements offers a competitive edge in a crowded industry. Marketing professionals should note its strategic use of eCommerce, partnerships with top retailers, and a narrative driven by transparency and human connection.

STORE DESIGN INNOVATION

Bath & Body Works Introduces Gingham Design for Enhanced In-Store Experience

Bath & Body Works' new Gingham store design features an open layout and technological enhancements, enhancing the in-store experience across 15 locations and expanding this year. With its strategic focus on Gen Z preferences for tactile engagement and muted aesthetics, it caters to evolving consumer demands in retail environments.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Coty Sells Stake In Kim Kardashian's SKKN Brand To SKIMS

Coty has ended its partnership with Kim Kardashian's SKKN brand by selling its 20% stake to Kardashian's SKIMS, signaling SKIMS' strategic expansion into beauty and lifestyle sectors. This move highlights Coty's focus on refining its diverse portfolio and aligns with strategic trends in brand consolidation. Marketing professionals can glean insights on the growing convergence of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands in driving consumer engagement.

BEAUTY CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHT

Charlotte Tilbury Celebrates Gen X Icons with New Pillow Talk Beauty Soulmates

Charlotte Tilbury's new campaign featuring Gen X icon Kim Cattrall highlights an expanding trend in beauty marketing: targeting older consumers with authenticity and nostalgia. This strategic move taps into a projected $150 billion market, positioning Pillow Talk Beauty Soulmates as a key player. The campaign emphasizes self-love and ageless beauty, providing marketers insights into the power of leveraging established cultural figures to engage a diverse age demographic.

BEAUTY MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Kristen Bell Debuts Estée Lauder's Beauty Sleep Dupe Campaign With Sophistication

Estée Lauder's campaign with Kristen Bell leverages dupe culture and sleep health trends by asserting their Advanced Night Repair as a breakthrough product. The campaign humorously addresses the challenge of poor sleep's impact on skin health, aiming to enhance consumer engagement and reinforce the brand's leadership in night-time skincare. This approach provides marketing professionals with insights into creatively tapping into popular cultural trends to enhance brand positioning and consumer connection.

Influencer Corner 📣

Optimization Hub ⚙️

MARKETING CAMPAIGN OPTIMIZATION

Optimize April Campaigns For Long-Term Loyalty And Increased Conversions

April campaigns can boost conversions by leveraging storytelling, personalized SMS, and email strategies tailored to events like Easter, Earth Day, and April Fools Day. Focus on creating customer-specific journeys, optimizing campaign timing, and offering exclusive deals to foster brand loyalty and drive revenue growth.

OMNICHANNEL CAMPAIGNS

Data Segmentation Powering Personalized Omnichannel Marketing Campaign Breakthroughs

Data segmentation enhances omnichannel marketing by dividing audiences into tailored groups, enabling precise targeting through personalized content across platforms. This approach boosts engagement and brand loyalty, essential for marketers aiming to improve campaign efficiency. Automation can streamline these efforts, ensuring consistent customer interaction.

BID STRATEGY INSIGHT

Master Google Ads Bidding Strategies For Optimal Campaign Performance

Understanding Google Ads bid strategies is crucial for optimizing ad spend and performance. For direct-response advertisers, focus on Smart Bidding with Maximize Conversions or Target CPA. eCommerce campaigns benefit from Maximize Conversion Value or Target ROAS, while brand awareness can utilize Target Impression Share. Using Bid Strategy Portfolios further enhances performance by consolidating data across campaigns.