It goes without saying that retail has experienced a bumpy ride over the past few years. 2021 was an extremely challenging time for retailers in the UK with store closures an acceleration of what was happening in the marketplace pre Covid (PWC) with regards to large, cumbersome department stores, heritage brands with a declining customer base and high rates and rents. More than 17 000 chain store outlets closed in 2021, whilst this sounds phenomenal bear in mind that this figure includes fashion retailers, restaurants, bars, and gyms as well as banks and hairdressers – essentially service-related industries. Shopping centers which in the past drew in heavy footfall, have now fallen to being the worst performing in the past two years.
Retailers that we are all familiar with – from Debenhams to the Arcadia Group disappeared from the landscape. Following a very difficult time, 38.5% of UK retail sales still took place online in March 2021, whilst a decline of 63% a year earlier, this is still 9.2 percentage points ahead of the 29.3% recorded in 2019.
The New Customer Mindset for 2022
If you are exploring the UK marketplace for the first time, you may think it is competitive and difficult to enter. Competitive, yes it is. Difficult to enter? Well you need a clear strategy and plan to navigate the marketplace.
The UK beauty marketplace is made up of online and bricks and mortar speciality health and beauty retailers, pharmacies, department stores, supermarkets, and value retailers. UK consumers spend on average £487 per head on health and beauty product in 2022 (Global Data), over the next five-years they will be investing even more leading to an additional £73 per head. This makes this one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK. 9 out of 10 health and beauty shoppers still purchase products in store, but the spend is shifting online with online sales said to reach £3.1 billion by 2022.
Retailers have increased their online offering significantly since the pandemic, and this looks set to continue, with several of them having introduced new categories such as wellness. ASOS have partnered with brands including Lush, Marks & Spencer have invested in bringing on board more established beauty brands like Clinique and Benefit, and we have also seen retailers investing in training their staff about health and wellness like Holland & Barrett. There is a heightened interest in supporting black-owned beauty brands. Sustainability is a focal point with many questioning the sustainable credentials of a brand. Retailers like Sainsbury’s have introduced online marketplaces, like Debenhams to support the growth of indie beauty brands.
Book in for a Sales Strategy Workshop
We work with clients to support them in developing a clear go-to-market strategy to support their UK retail expansion. If are interested in exploring whether the UK should form part of your retail strategy, GET IN TOUCH
We love partnering up with award-winning beauty and wellness brands, well-established companies, retailers, investors, trade bodies to bring your ideas to life. With over 60 years combined experience in building brands we know what it takes.
As a beauty brand consultancy, we support you in taking your business to the next level through strategy, brand management, product development. Introducing our 3 C’s – we draw upon years of Clarity, Creativity, Commerciality to deliver your results. We design brand identities and visual elements, create products, develop go-to-market strategies to help you to engage with your ideal customers. We work with you to develop a comprehensive strategy for your business by understanding your vision (and the marketplace) and then delving into the details to create order and structure, neatly packaged up to deliver you commercial results.
We work with clients based in different corners of the world – from the UK, to Africa, Sri Lanka, Australia, the Middle East and across Europe. Over the years we have worked with a diverse portfolio of businesses – here’s a snapshot. If you would like to discuss your ideas with us, get in touch, we would love to hear from you.
‘As a Queensland-based company, we were determined to tap into the European market and establish a strong presence. From the very beginning, Bespoke Advantage demonstrated a deep understanding of our export goals and objectives. Their comprehensive knowledge of the European market, coupled with their extensive network of contacts, enabled them to connect us with key decision-makers and influential stakeholders in our target countries. Their strategic guidance and insights were invaluable in shaping our export strategy and positioning us for long-term success.’
‘With the assistance of TIQ, we engaged Bespoke Advantage to help us enter the highly competitive but lucrative UK market. During the last few months Janet and her team have worked diligently to introduce and expose Perfect Potion to buyers and retailers we would never have been able to reach being based in Australia.’
‘Janet has a wealth of experience across retail, buying and marketing. She conducted a full strategic review of our cross functional business and the travel retail market to develop a comprehensive buying and quality control strategy that was signed off at board level. I highly recommend her as an asset to any business.’
‘Through Janet’s management skills, expertise and proven track record on the job she successfully managed the purchasing of our retail operations and ensured the integrity of our brands in-stores. Her enthusiasm and total dedication, delivered results in any project she was involved in.’
‘Janet has excellent beauty market knowledge. Level headed with clear vision, direction and the ability to drive business forward, Janet led the teams through a complete product design change advising on what the key marketing messages should be, incorporating her technical knowledge and beauty expertise.’
‘Absolutely fantastic course. Condensed learning from Janet, an expert in developing beauty brands. Also, valuable introductions to expert professionals, in the Masterclass sessions. In 12 weeks, you will learn from Janet, what would take years to learn by yourself. A very worthwhile investment’