Benita Williams’ Post

🛍️ 💄 💅🏽 It’s no secret that I love all things retail, but it’s not just shoes, clothes and bags- I’m obsessed with skincare and make up too. I’m also Pakistani (if you didn’t already know that, here’s a cheeky plug to check out my last dissertation of a post here 😜). So it was a total treat when Nicola Conway and Sana Malik invited me to talk on their podcast about diversity within the cosmetics and beauty industry. 🎙️🤎 Check out the link below and listen on your morning run, during a quiet solo lunch break, or on your commute home from the office. We name drop some really cool brands who are nailing it on the DE&I front, talk about how things have changed over the years, and share a list of top tips on how companies can ensure that diversity runs through the DNA of their brand.

We may not have won, but we are winners nevertheless! Being nominated, especially as part of a consumer’s choice award, which is an honor in itself, naturally comes with the desire to be #1. We did not win. Not this time. Is there still a positive impact? In my view, yes! #recognition | We were nominated alongside top brands like Frank Body and Sol de Janeiro— the latter being the winner. In this category “Everything in the Shower”, we stood out as the only body lotion among body washes, scrubs, cleansers, and oils. #awareness | Consumer voting introduced us to diverse audiences, potentially gaining new #loyalcustomers who may not typically shop bath care at #Mecca or are unfamiliar with #SoapandGlory. #experience | Our focus remains on getting more people to try our products, experience their quality, and have us become their go-to choice for future awards. Congratulations to all nominees and the winner! This journey has provided us with valuable lessons and a clear roadmap for the upcoming year. 

Thank you Amiee Bayer-Thomas, Bhavani Subramaniam, Sean Whitehouse and Romaine Bostick, CFA! We wanted to give #DEI center stage at Manifest: The Future of Supply Chain & Logistics which is why we have this incredible discussion planned for our Plenary stage!! Find out how to join us here: manifestvegas.com #manifest2024 #supplychain #logistics #dei #leadership

SEPHORA has one of best loyalty programs out there, and they are making sure it's ready for the holidays season! 🌟 Diving Deep into Sephora's Beauty Insider Loyalty Program: Leadership: Emmy Brown Berlind, Sephora's SVP, spearheads the program with a clear vision: combining value with convenience. Membership Perks: Exclusive access to bi-annual promotions, redeemable samples from points, free online shipping, in-store pickups, and even same-day deliveries. Balancing Act: A continuous effort is made to strike the right balance between acquiring new loyal members while keeping the existing ones engaged and satisfied. Facing Challenges Head-On: The quest? Keeping the program fresh, exciting, and on the cutting edge, without overwhelming members. Golden Advice for Retailers: Align your loyalty program with the primary reasons customers choose your store. Regularly reward your loyalists and always ensure the program echoes the values of convenience and value. To all fellow retailers and marketers, it's essential to keep adapting, evolving, and listening to our customers. Sephora's approach serves as a brilliant example! 🛍️ #LoyaltyProgram #RetailInsights

An excellent reminder from Martin Newman about the things that matter in building and growing a healthy business. Whilst many of us quote Peter Drucker’s remark that culture eats strategy for breakfast … it’s not to imply that building a winning business culture is an easy choice for a leader … it’s actually much harder than crafting a ‘perfect’ strategy. But if you are prepared to invest the leadership courage, energy and long term commitment (and are able to take your owners with you…) there’s no doubt that you can create a more resilient and creative business, and gain real advantage over your competitors.

In WD Partners' latest POV, we explore how DICK'S Sporting Goods has embraced innovation to stay ahead in a rapidly changing retail landscape. From redefining the in-store experience to meeting evolving customer needs, there's much to learn from their approach. Don't miss out on the opportunity to gain valuable insights that could shape your retail success. Check out the POV below!

In WD Partners' latest POV, we explore how DICK'S Sporting Goods has embraced innovation to stay ahead in a rapidly changing retail landscape. From redefining the in-store experience to meeting evolving customer needs, there's much to learn from their approach. Don't miss out on the opportunity to gain valuable insights that could shape your retail success. Check out the POV below!

I love BRANDS which go that extra mile with their CUSTOMERS 😍 This is super-easy, showcasing new products via in-store sampling 👍 I mean you have your team there anyway, stood behind the counter, serving customers. Why not use them in the spare moments to ENGAGE with your customers, to SHARE NEW products and NEW NEWS, generate some INSIGHTS from customers which might help your business, and maybe even UP-SELL a few things! 👏 Never forgetting (of course) that YOUR TEAM ARE YOUR BRAND, and their personality and warmth reflects on your business (so choosing the right people to do this is a consideration! 😉 ) If I ca help with your marketing thinking and execution, drop me a DM and get in touch 👍 #customerexperience #insights #marketing #marketingexecution #team #staff #people #customerengagement #brandpersonality #sampling 👏 Starbucks #instore #instoresampling #experiential #experientialmarketing

What another fantastic session with the team at Portwest in Killarney this week. I worked with the team on: 💰 Selling styles on the Shopfloor and how to connect, engage and build brand loyalty with shoppers. 🧍♀️🧍🧍♂️Identifing customer profiles on the Shopfloor and having a selling preference for that customer persona. 🛍️��� Lots of role plays on how to upsell and link sell with shoppers through meaningful conversations that engage and connect with customers. The heart ❤️ of Retail is felt by shoppers from NOT the products BUT each team members personality on the shopfloor. How you show up is how you lead yourself and your team👨💼🧑💼👩💼 As a Leader in your Business how much of your personality your team’s personality and your companies personality impacts your bottom line??? For many they are all interlinked so if your business is currently not performing as you want it to look 👀 at 👇 🫵 How you are showing up for yourself and your team. ☝️How your team are showing up for one another. 👉 How is your business is showing up for your customers 👈 Owen Clifford ISME Ireland Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail Life Pharmacy Ireland Eurospar Musgrave

Ulta Beauty's CEO, Dave Kimbell, raised concerns about a significant slowdown in beauty product demand at the recent JP Morgan Retail Round-Up Conference on April 3rd, sending shockwaves through the industry. This unexpected change in outlook has raised questions about Ulta's management team's ability to accurately forecast future business conditions, developing just weeks after the company reported strong quarterly earnings. Kimbell stated that Ulta had experienced a steeper and earlier decline in beauty sales than anticipated, impacting various product categories and price points. He pointed to factors like rising consumer credit card debt and economic uncertainty as potential reasons behind the spending pullback. This warning directly contradicts Ulta's previous earnings report issued in late March, where the company projected net sales of $11.7 billion to $11.8 billion for the current fiscal year, reflecting a healthy 4-5% growth in comparable sales. Notably, there were no crucial indications of weakening demand at that time. The sudden shift in tone caused Ulta's stock price to plummet, with shares dropping over 13% on the same day of the conference. The warning also impacted other beauty and cosmetics stocks, including E.L.F. Beauty, Estee Lauder, and Coty. This development raises serious concerns about the reliability of Ulta's forecasting abilities and the transparency of its communication with the market. Investors and analysts will be keeping a close eye on how the company navigates the current economic climate and achieves its growth targets in the coming quarters. Ulta's leadership should heed to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the factors affecting their business and provide more distinct guidance to rebuild trust with investors. Their ability to weather the demand slowdown and maintain their competitive edge will be critical in the upcoming months. #ultabeauty #retailindustry #skincare #earningswarning #managementcredibility #forecasting #consumerdemand #economicuncertainty #stockmarket #wallstreet #ir #investing #businessleadership #notfinancialadvice