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A customer shops for makeup at a Walmart store in Secaucus, New Jersey, March 5, 2024.
Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty Images
As consumers become more educated about the products they’re buying and look to make more holistic purchases, a new retail category is emerging.
What were once three separate sections — beauty, health and wellness — have converged into one large category as consumers look for products that serve multiple purposes. That change in consumer behavior is creating more competition for companies racing to win over the corresponding share of customers’ wallets, industry experts said.
According to a new study from consulting firm AlixPartners, nearly 100% of consumers surveyed believe that the category is just one budget item, whereas it was three before.
The survey, conducted jointly between CEW and AlixPartners between May and June, sampled 1,000 consumers age 18 and over and split across gender, age, income brackets and regions. The survey also polled 127 executives in the beauty, health and wellness industries.
“What we found in the data is a consumer is just as likely to trade off a night cream for another night cream as a night cream for a personal trainer,” Lindy Firstenberg, co-lead of the company’s beauty, health and wellness practice, told CNBC. “Anything in beauty, health and wellness is within the consideration set.”
As wellness becomes more mainstream, 40% of consumers in the survey said they want traditional beauty companies to expand their reach in terms of the products they offer. At the same time, the AlixPartners study found that 42% of executives said they wanted their companies to stay in their lane.
“What that shows is a fundamental disconnect that consumers are asking for more; they’re asking for different, they’re asking for a new playbook, and executives are saying, ‘No, that’s way too scary. That’s not going to happen,’” Firstenberg said.
Firstenberg said she believes companies may be hesitant to take on a big bet that won’t necessarily immediately pay off on a quarterly cycle. It’s a move that would also include lengthy time for research and development and consumer profiling.
“They’re not willing to look outside of themselves in order to see that broader beauty, health and wellness bucket, which is the exact opposite of consumers,” Firstenberg said.
That trend comes as consumers are also becoming more knowledgeable about the products they’re buying and integrating a more science-backed approach to their beauty purchases, a trend AlixPartners calls the “consumer PhD.”
Firstenberg said people are also looking to other consumers, especially on social media, for which products to buy and which ones will have the best results, instead of relying on the brands.
How retailers are responding
Ulta is expanding its wellness shop to have more health-focused brands and more shelf space for those items.
Melissa Repko | CNBC
Some companies are choosing to team up with existing brands on the other side of the sector to expand their offerings.
In 2022, luxury brand Gucci partnered with wearable fitness tracker brand Oura on a specially designed ring. Last month, consumer packaged goods company Procter & Gamble agreed to acquire supplements brand Thorne for $3.8 billion in a bid to grow its health business.
Another approach is making sure those products are highlighted together.
Ulta Beauty has launched in-store wellness boutiques, which feature product categories such as supplements and skin and hair serums. Target launched the Target Beauty Studio on Sept. 10 after phasing out its shop-in-shop partnership with Ulta in August. And Sephora now has a dedicated wellness and skincare section on its website.
Walmart has been investing in varied product assortments in its stores over the past few years and leaning into both entry-level price points and premium brands, said Silvia Kawas, who leads the consumables business for Walmart U.S.
“Our customers today are actually thinking about solving problems across their health and wellness and beauty journeys more holistically than ever, and so you’ll see a lot of blurring of the lines,” Kawas told CNBC.
Kawas said Walmart, which is currently in the process of remodeling many of its stores, is placing beauty products in high-traffic areas to ensure the company stays ahead of trends. It’s also making sure store associates who are knowledgeable in the beauty and wellness industry are available to help customers, in addition to leveraging the expertise of its pharmacists.
“We have this unique advantage of being an omnichannel retailer that allows us to help service customers both from a store perspective through great assortments. … [And] we also are trusted for our everyday low price and consistency,” Kawas said.
She added that Walmart has seen its consumers going through a trial-and-error process, so the company has had success with its mini and single-serve products.
“We’re very intentional about creating this exploration, discovery and navigation in-store and online that gives [customers] confidence in the solutions that they’re buying from Walmart,” Kawas said.
A new retail landscape
Walmart’s mobile wellness tour, offering flu vaccines, immunizations, boosters and free health and vision screenings.
Michael Siluk | UCG | Universal Images Group | Getty Images
While some larger players in the retail space are leaning into the trend, others may be missing the mark, said Pierre Dupreelle, the global leader for beauty at Boston Consulting Group.
Dupreelle said the “revolution” of the beauty and wellness industry is leading to a “complete reshape,” especially with the rise of GLP-1 drugs as consumers focus on how health intersects with beauty.
“The brands that consumers are now favoring are extremely efficacious brands that are very focused on science, derm-backed, doctor-backed type of products, so there’s a set of brands that are really benefiting from this explosion of the category,” Dupreelle said. “The more traditional, more sensible skincare brands, even at the top of the price points, are definitely struggling.”
Even as consumers are squeezed by macroeconomic pressures like high gas prices, rising inflation and uncertainty from global politics, Dupreelle said they’re more likely to cut their spending on other categories before they rein in their beauty, health and wellness budget.
According to an August report from market research firm Circana, unit demand in the beauty industry remained positive through the first half of 2026 despite consumer selectivity.
The report found that skincare sales revenue grew 8% in the first half of the year, benefiting from consumers’ interest in whole body wellness.
For retailers like Walmart, that means leaning into the product assortments and price points that customers are looking for to ensure they keep coming back.
Kawas said the company is already seeing returns on that strategy with customers building bigger baskets on their way to the cash register.
“That’s the advantage, is affordability, access and flexibility to customize and personalize,” Kawas said. “I think that’s the role that we need to be playing. … The more we do that, the more repeat and loyalty we will get out of them because we’re consistent in our offering.”
Privately-owned, Broome-founded microgrid firm GenOffGrid will seek to generate a figure understood to be around $10-15 million through an off-market capital raise.
Parent company BrewDog PLC is still expected to pay its preferential creditor, HMRC, in full for £3.66m tax owed – mainly VAT and excise duty.
Brewdog’s biggest debt was to financial services group HSBC, which was owed more than £61m across various banking arms.
It has recovered tens of millions of pounds, but still faces an estimated shortfall of £16.8m.
The report noted that this could be reduced through asset sales in the United States.
Private equity backer TSG, which took a 22% stake in the brewer in 2017, is set to lose £27.6m.
Brewdog also owes around £190m to unsecured creditors. They are expected to receive less than a penny in the pound of what they are owed.
I have a masters degree in Analytics from Northwestern University and a bachelors degree in Accounting. I have worked in the investment arena for over 10 years starting as an analyst and working my way up to a management role. Dividend investing is a personal hobby and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with the Seeking Alpha community.
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Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Australia’s second-largest not-for-profit health fund, HBF, has delivered a net profit after tax of $128.2 million for the year, supported by a growing national footprint.
Sandy Klugman
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Ashland Innovation Day 2026. My name is Sandy Klugman, and I’m Ashland’s Director of Investor Relations. Today, you will hear from leaders across Ashland, including business executives and technology experts, who will discuss how our innovation pipeline is creating differentiated commercial opportunities that drive long-term growth and value creation.
Please note that we will be referencing slides during today’s webinar, and we encourage you to follow along with the webcast material available at ashland.com, under Investor Relations. As a reminder, I wanted to caution listeners that during this call, the company’s management will be making forward-looking statements.
Actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied by our forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties associated with the company’s business. These forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in today’s investor presentation and Ashland’s SEC filings, including the quarterly report on Form 10-Q. Please review the safe harbor statements and the disclosure regarding our use of non-GAAP financial measures included in those materials.
And with that, I’ll turn it over to Guillermo Novo, Ashland Chair and CEO.
Guillermo Novo
Chairman & CEO
Welcome, everyone. It’s a pleasure to be here today. Welcome to our Third Innovation Day update. It’s a pleasure to host you today. As you’ve heard in prior events, Ashland has made innovation a strategic priority to drive differentiation and
CoreWeave prices $3.7 billion convertible notes offering
Check out what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com.
Legendary investor Warren Buffett is stepping down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, the company said on Friday.
“Serving as your Chairman has been the privilege of a lifetime, and I have never taken your trust for granted,” Buffett, who was named chairman emeritus, said in a letter to shareholders. “Father Time always wins. He has, however, been generous with me. He has given me the opportunity to see Berkshire reach a point where I am more confident than ever about what lies ahead.”
Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett speaks during an interview on FOX Business Network. (FOX Business Network)
Buffett’s son, Howard Buffett, will become chairman of the board, effective immediately. He has been a Berkshire director since 1993.
“Howard will guard its culture and values – both worth more than anything on our balance sheet,” Buffett said. “Think of Howard as a policy the shareholders own and hope never to claim against.”
Buffett started his career at Berkshire in 1965 and stepped down as CEO earlier this year. He was succeeded by Greg Abel, who was the vice chairman of non-insurance operations.
Warren Buffett started his career at Berkshire in 1965. (Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage)
“Warren’s impact on Berkshire and its owners is without parallel in the history of American business,” Abel said in a statement. “The culture Warren built and the values he championed will remain at the heart of Berkshire, and Howard will be their guardian.”
Known for his long-term strategy and focus on buying high-quality businesses at reasonable prices, Buffett delivered steady gains that outpaced broader markets, making him a trusted steward of capital.
Reuters contributed to this report.
TQP Research is run by a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with several years of experience in structured finance and banking. TQP Research follows a value-oriented investment approach by identifying businesses that meet the criteria for long-term success taught by Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, and Walter Schloss, to name a few. Investment topics will primarily include: Market analysis and macroeconomic trends, large-cap blue chip companies, deeply undervalued micro-cap and small-cap stocks that most institutional investors will avoid, and technology and market news. TQP Research enjoys actively engaging with members of the community. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or ideas!
Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
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