EPISODE · Jul 16, 2026 · 4 MIN
Beauty M&A Map, Korea's Online Flip, Ulta's New CTO
from Beauty in Five
Cosmetics Business tallies first-half 2026 beauty M&A. A running deal tracker reports Estée Lauder, L'Oréal, Unilever and Henkel among the acquirers in a busy first half, giving founders and investors a read on what strategics are buying. (Cosmetics Business) Luxury beauty brands expand on Korean e-commerce platforms. Korea JoongAng Daily reports luxury houses that once avoided local online retail are now scaling there, a channel reversal tied to shifting consumer habits and K-beauty's rise. (koreajoongangdaily) Ulta Beauty names board member Kelly Garcia CTO. Cosmetics Business and Global Cosmetics News report Garcia, an Ulta director since 2022, joins as Chief Technology Officer in August, an insider taking the tech seat at the largest US beauty specialty retailer. (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News) Also moving today: Macy's names Kering Beauté veteran Alexandre Choueiri as CEO of Bluemercury (Premium Beauty News, Global Cosmetics News) Sephora Global COO Alexis Rollier exits after 14 years (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News) Sephora Restructures: Mónica Cigognini Takes on Europe, Cecilia Sánchez Steps Up for Iberia - Modaes Global (modaes.com) 'Sephora Summer' kicks off as first-ever Scottish store opens in Edinburgh (The NEN - North Edinburgh News, Cosmetics Business) Aora makes history as Sephora's first fully plastic-free beauty brand (Cosmetics Business, WWD Beauty)
Embed this episode
What this episode covers
Cosmetics Business refreshes its first-half beauty M&A list, with Estée Lauder Companies, L'Oréal, Unilever and Henkel buying across skincare, haircare and wellness, even as Estée Lauder is reported to have halted planned divestitures of Too Faced, Smashbox and Dr. Jart plus. The Korea JoongAng Daily reports luxury brands that once avoided Korean online retail are moving onto Musinsa Beauty, Naver Plus Store and Beauty Kurly, with e-commerce at 60.8 percent of the country's cosmetics market in 2024, per Korea Ratings. Ulta Beauty names board member Kelly Garcia as Chief Technology Officer, plus moves at Bluemercury, Sephora Europe and Sephora UK.
Ready to play
Beauty M&A Map, Korea's Online Flip, Ulta's New CTO
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.
Similar Podcasts
No similar podcasts found.