MBS Intelligence
Consumer Products

Inclusive innovation in haircare: in conversation with Winnie Awa,…
Winnie Awa wants to change the lives of one billion people. Specifically, she wants to give one billion people their best hair ever. And by developing AI tools and applying them in the textured haircare market, she is...

Good investment: in conversation with Ben Black, Co-Head of…
To most people, the chocolate and toilet paper categories have little in common. But to Ben Black, and to the team at Verlinvest, the areas are in fact closely linked – not by their product offering, but by the...

D&I in Beauty: leading on strategies, lagging on engagement
There’s something that feels particularly urgent about discussing diversity and inclusion in the Beauty sector. Over the past decade or so, the way we think about beauty has transformed, and there’s now a pressing...

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Beauty Sector
The MBS Group is delighted to share our second report into diversity, equity and inclusion in the Beauty sector, produced in partnership with CEW and ScienceMagic. Over the past few months, MBS has undertaken...

What makes a successful scale-up in consumer goods? Launching…
At MBS, we’ve been advising founders and hiring into challenger brands for nearly thirty years. In that time, it’s been impossible not to notice a shift in the industry: when once the consumer goods and grocery...

Are we in the next wave of channel innovation…
When Glossier launched in 2014, it felt like a new era for the beauty industry. The brand popularised the now-ubiquitous “skincare first, makeup second” approach, and became the first cosmetics label to gain a...

Tequila sunrise: a new era for Mexico’s signature spirit
This Thursday is Cinco de Mayo – an annual celebration of Mexican culture, heritage and cuisine across the globe. It’s also a chance world-over to have a drink, and for me to dedicate a Weekend Edition to my tipple...

Weapons of mass consumption: the power of consumer brands
I made my first visit to Russia in the early 2000s – about a decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and shortly after Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister for the first time. My host took me on some store...

Looking in the mirror: kickstarting the conversation on diversity,…
The beauty industry has never been more exciting or vibrant than it is today. This week alone, we’ve seen Dolce & Gabbana commit to investing €300m in the category to take production in-house; ecommerce giant...
Latest Consumer Products News
P&G to write-down value of Gilette brand The consumer goods giant has said that it will record up to $2.5bn in charges over two fiscal years as it writes down the value of its Gillette business. Gillette currently represents around 8% of total sales at P&G. Read more.
British American Tobacco makes £25bn writedown BAT is making a £25bn writedown on the value of some of its US cigarette portfolio. The move is part of the company's long-term transformation, with a greater focus on heated products and tobacco alternatives. Read more.
L’Oréal announces acquisition of probiotic and microbiome research firm The beauty giant has acquired Lactobio, a Copenhagen-based leader in probiotic and microbiome research. The move is part of L’Oréal's ongoing strategy to expand its scientific and product performance capabilities. Read more.
Biossance skincare brand bought by THG Prestige skincare brand Biossance has been acquired by THG from S biotechnology group Amyris for $20m. Biossance generates global revenues of $300m, and is currently stocked in over 1,600 stores. Read more.
Profits dip at Remy Cointreau The group has reported a 43% fall in first-half operating profit, thanks to high levels of unsold inventories in the US. The maker of Remy Martin cognac and Cointreau liqueur has said that it will not see any growth in sales before the next financial year. Read more.
Retail Food Group buys pie brand in $10m deal Global food and beverage group Retail Food Group is expanding its portfolio with the acquisition of Australia-based pie maker Beefy's Pies. Read more.
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