Jamie Matusow, Editor10.17.24
Welcome to our October/November issue, featuring our annual ratings of the world’s Top 20 Global Beauty Companies, ranked by net sales. Researching these iconic super-brands always provides a fascinating overview of how organized, strategic, flexible, and forward-thinking they are—and what it takes to thrive in the highly competitive cosmetics industry. It also hammers home the remarkable talents of packaging creators, suppliers, designers, graphic artists, and others, who are able to fulfill the product dreams and engineering feats necessary to bring a new launch to-shelf in a speedier-than-ever timeframe.
As you’ll see when you read through these 20 brief portfolios (starting on page 29 of this issue), fragrance has been a big boon to many of this year’s top-ranked brands—and to many smaller players in the industry, as well. In the past year, large brands have even moved to launch extensive lines all at once, seeking to captivate “every” consumer with a special scent. Sales of perfumes, particularly Prestige Perfumes, have been boosting sales for several years.
In the first half of 2024, the U.S. Prestige beauty market grew by 8% to $15.3 billion, according to Circana. Domestically, fragrance is the fastest-growing Prestige beauty category so far this year, but the trend is quickly encompassing Mass fragrance, as well, in which lower-priced products including mini sizes and body sprays are also succeeding. (Read more about Circana’s beauty & fragrance findings in our Beauty Buzz column in this issue on page 12—and at BeautyPackaging.com).
While fragrance generated the most revenue, makeup remains the largest category in the U.S. Prestige market. Several global brands followed strategies of bringing fragrance and/or makeup to fashion brands, aligning with or acquiring a luxe designer label to share a known name and image.
While 2023 proved prosperous for many companies on our list, others struggled, mostly due to continuing global economic and political pressures, including a large sales slump in China.
One common denominator for all Top 20 brands is their dogged approach toward CSR and housing their products in sustainable packaging.
At press time, Publisher Jay Gorga and I are heading to MakeUp in NewYork and then Luxe Pack Monaco—so I’m sure I’ll have a lot of exciting international news and trends to share when we return.
Hope to see you on the show floor.
Stay well!
Jamie Matusow
[email protected]
As you’ll see when you read through these 20 brief portfolios (starting on page 29 of this issue), fragrance has been a big boon to many of this year’s top-ranked brands—and to many smaller players in the industry, as well. In the past year, large brands have even moved to launch extensive lines all at once, seeking to captivate “every” consumer with a special scent. Sales of perfumes, particularly Prestige Perfumes, have been boosting sales for several years.
In the first half of 2024, the U.S. Prestige beauty market grew by 8% to $15.3 billion, according to Circana. Domestically, fragrance is the fastest-growing Prestige beauty category so far this year, but the trend is quickly encompassing Mass fragrance, as well, in which lower-priced products including mini sizes and body sprays are also succeeding. (Read more about Circana’s beauty & fragrance findings in our Beauty Buzz column in this issue on page 12—and at BeautyPackaging.com).
While fragrance generated the most revenue, makeup remains the largest category in the U.S. Prestige market. Several global brands followed strategies of bringing fragrance and/or makeup to fashion brands, aligning with or acquiring a luxe designer label to share a known name and image.
While 2023 proved prosperous for many companies on our list, others struggled, mostly due to continuing global economic and political pressures, including a large sales slump in China.
One common denominator for all Top 20 brands is their dogged approach toward CSR and housing their products in sustainable packaging.
At press time, Publisher Jay Gorga and I are heading to MakeUp in NewYork and then Luxe Pack Monaco—so I’m sure I’ll have a lot of exciting international news and trends to share when we return.
Hope to see you on the show floor.
Stay well!
Jamie Matusow
[email protected]
