Estée Lauder is aiming to get firmly back on the growth track and is tapping Amazon to do so.
The flagship brand of the Estée Lauder Cos. launches on Amazon Tuesday with an assortment of products across its three axes — skin care, makeup and fragrance — as well as an Amazon-exclusive virtual try-on tool for its foundation.
The move to democratize its distribution in the U.S. comes at the same time as an ultra-luxury push globally. The brand recently debuted a luxury retail and services concept in Hainan, China.
“The launch of Estée Lauder on Amazon Premium Beauty marks a huge milestone for our brand as we bring our high-performance products and advanced skin care science to Amazon customers in the U.S.,” said Estée Lauder global brand president Justin Boxford in a statement. “We are excited to introduce our night science expertise, skin tone authority and iconic fragrances to Amazon’s highly engaged, multigenerational beauty community, providing them with an elevated, high-touch experience to discover our best-in-class hero products.”
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Estée Lauder follows Too Faced, Clinique, Bumble and bumble, Dr.Jart+, Smashbox and Lab Series as the parent company — as well as other key players in fashion and beauty — are looking to the platform to boost growth.
“Throughout 2024 we have been working with the Estée Lauder Companies to launch several of their unique and cherished beauty brands in Amazon Premium Beauty,” said Melis del Rey, general manager of beauty, baby and beauty technology of Amazon U.S. Stores, in a statement. “Amazon Premium Beauty brand stores allow brands to share what makes them special. We worked with Estée Lauder to build an innovative beauty shopping experience that reflects the brand’s storied sophistication.”
Estée Lauder also joins competitor brands such as Kiehl’s Since 1851, Lancôme, Youth to the People, Shiseido and Keys Soulcare, among others.
The move comes at a pivotal time for the Estée Lauder Cos., which has seen a flurry of executive changes — including the impending retirement of chief executive officer Fabrizio Freda — and most recently, the departure of Mark Loomis, the company’s group president of North America. In its most recent fiscal year, sales were up slightly in the geography.
Loomis’ successors include Too Faced global brand president Tara Simon, and Amber English, the latter of whom oversaw the preceding Lauder brands’ launches on Amazon. She had previously spent 14 years at the retail platform before joining Lauder.
Per a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Estée Lauder skin care sales declined in the fiscal year, particularly in China, while makeup performed well. As reported, its Re-Nutriv luxury skin care range has been a bright spot. Per the statement revealing its Amazon partnership, Estée Lauder holds the top prestige foundation in the U.S. with Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup.
Shortly after Clinique’s debut on Amazon, in a statement regarding the company’s third-quarter earnings, Lauder said the brand’s launch “has greatly exceeded our retail sales expectations thus far.”
On the marketing front, Estée Lauder’s sports-centric campaign called “Game Day, Your Way,” will also head to Amazon’s Prime Video. “By advertising on Prime Video, we know that female fans and beauty lovers will be excited to see themselves represented on the screen between plays with their favorite teams,” Fiona Sainty, senior vice president and general manager of Estée Lauder and Aerin Beauty, North America, said in a statement. “Beyond this, we are collapsing the consumer journey by leveraging Prime Video to reach Amazon customers with our new storefront. It’s a win-win.”