Morning Brew - ☕️ Full coverage

Inside Sephora’s accelerator program.
Morning Brew April 27, 2022

Retail Brew

Square

Happy Wednesday. We’re excited to see some of you IRL today, but we’re always excited to get to know all of our readers better. So we put together this three-minute survey to find out more about you and your interests. Plus, completing it will land you a chance to win a $500 AmEx gift card, or score a free ticket to Retail Brew’s summit in October!

In today’s edition:

Erin Cabrey, Katishi Maake, Glenda Toma

BEAUTY

Prime the palette

Sephora store front Adrian Hancu/Getty Images

Hitting Sephora’s shelves is most beauty brands’ dream come true, so when the retailer approached skincare startup Eadem in 2020, co-founder Marie Kouadio Amouzame was “over the moon”—but also “super, super anxious.”

“We’re like, ‘Wow, Sephora is a huge thing. Are we ready?’”

It ultimately decided it wasn’t. As a pre-launch, self-funded brand, Eadem “had literally nothing,” Amouzame told Retail Brew. But it found a way to work with the retailer while priming for its on-shelf debut: the Sephora Accelerate program.

Eadem was selected to the 2021 cohort, Sephora’s first since it underwent a “significant overhaul,” which included a commitment to bolster BIPOC-founded brands, Rauvan Dulay, its VP of global merchandising, business development, and strategy, told us.

  • Started in 2016, the accelerator has mentored ~75 early-stage brands so far, initially centered around international beauty tech and social impact.

In line with joining the Fifteen Percent Pledge in 2020, Dulay said the program is now focused specifically on diversifying its in-store assortment and “what it takes to be successful” on shelves, from financing to merchandising.

Beauty school

Sephora picks participants based on “brand storytelling, their vision, innovation, and where they are with product differentiation,” Dulay explained, adding that they’re typically evaluated like any prospective brand for its store.

The six-month program welcomes accepted brands in its cohort in mid-January (the class of 2021 had eight companies; this year’s has 10), and orientation and curriculum kick-off extends through March, with founders forming partnerships with merchant sponsors. Then comes the boot camp in April, a “fairly intensive” week of sessions covering everything from investment strategy to marketing—the two topics participants appreciate the most, Dulay said. Finally, there’s Pitch Day—where brands give presentations to industry leaders, investors, and Sephora execs—followed by graduation in late May.

  • Sephora also provides all participants with a grant, though it declined to disclose the amount.

Strong foundation: Amouzame also described the program as intensive: “I felt lucky that we are two running this business because I don’t know how other founders did [it.]”

She said she and co-founder Alice Lin Glover had meetings about three days a week for a “good chunk” of the day in the beginning, though the time commitment tapered off toward the end.

A lot of that time, Amouzame noted, was spent with Cindy Deily, Sephora’s VP of skincare merchandising, who was able to “accelerate,” of course, discussions Eadem “hadn’t even thought about”—like how to set the right price and whether it should include a spoon with its moisturizer. (Final decision: Yes.)

  • Plus, Amouzame said the program helped it form a category-focused product launch strategy that would help Eadem establish consumer trust.

Click here to read more.—EC, KM

        

TECH

Power play

image of a flickering vertical farm, framed by electricity and lettuce llustration: Francis Scialabba, Photo: onurdongel/Getty Images

Vertical farms have the vision, but do they have the energy?

The sector is set to skyrocket in the next four years—the global indoor-farming industry was valued at $79.3 billion in 2021, per Pitchbook, with the potential to climb to $155.6 billion by 2026. But Emerging Tech Brew’s Jordan McDonald notes that “there are structural challenges the industry needs to overcome before controlled-environment agriculture can hold a candle to traditional farms.”

The biggest might be energy consumption. So, some major vertical farms say they’re adjusting their power mix to be more sustainable and efficient:

New York-based Bowery Farming told Emerging Tech Brew each of its growing operations runs on 100% renewable energy, including hydropower. Brooklyn-based Upward Farms’s new farm in Northeast Pennsylvania—which it claims will be the largest in the world when it opens in 2023—is expected to run on 100% renewable energy, the company said. And some growers, like Kentucky-based AppHarvest, use greenhouse techniques to supplement their power mix, only turning on LEDs when the sun doesn’t shine.

Still, it can be tough to get energized.

Click here to read the full story on Emerging Tech Brew.

TOGETHER WITH SQUARE

Shape the way you sell

Square

Your products are poppin’ and your brand is fresh. Now you just need the best new POS system and a seamless online store that draws the customers in.

Square for Retail has the sales solutions you need to push your retail business forward. Their unique tools offer an online store that syncs with your stock, inventory management, and in-store pickup.

Wanna sync your online store with what’s going on IRL? Get the Square for Retail point-of-sale system, a centralized system designed for retail.

If you want to easily launch a custom online store, Square Online helps you connect to social sales channels and reach wider audiences. And when it comes to easy checkout, Square Register lets customers touch, swipe, or dip their payment method of choice.

Let Square help you manage the day-to-day so you can focus on where to go next. Click here to learn more.

COMMUNITY

Coworking with Kate Harper

On Wednesdays, we wear pink spotlight Retail Brew’s readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

Kate Harper is the chief brand curator at Hive, an online grocer founded in December 2019. But in less than a year—and amid the “Covid supply-chain craziness,” she noted—the startup signed up 100+ brands and debuted its marketplace in October. Today, Hive works with close to 300 brands, like Tony’s Chocolonely and LesserEvil Snacks, focusing on sustainable and socially conscious foods and home goods. But before that, they need to pass Harper’s (taste) test.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I discover incredible food makers you’ve never heard of and help grow those businesses.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile: It’s not all sitting around comparing candy or discussing the merits of one popcorn over another. We look at a lot of data, from knowing what our customers want to understanding national grocery trends. We do try a lot of popcorn, though.

Name your favorite accounts to follow: @food52, @warbyparker, @goodeggs.

What trend are you most excited about right now? Sustainability continues to be top of mind for shoppers. We know that 60% of shoppers say they want to be more sustainable, and 75% of millennials are actively changing their habits to reduce their impact on the environment.

Hopefully, this year, retailers really listen. Studies indicate that food production is responsible for nearly a third of global greenhouse gas emissions and that food packaging accounts for 50% of plastics. These realities are brutal and every player in the system needs to do more than their fair share to get us back on track.

        

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

  • Authentic Brands Group is suing Bolt, the payments startup, for alleged breach of contract, claiming losses of $150 million in online sales at ABG’s Forever 21 chain during Bolt’s integration.
  • Walmart revved up its gas discount from 5 cents per gallon to 10 cents per gallon for Walmart+ members, and added 12,000 Exxon and Mobil stations to the program.
  • Mattel is reported to be in discussions with PE firms about a possible sale, which presumably would involve a Fisher-Price cash register.
  • Dick’s is piloting a resale program in a partnership with Out&Back.
  • Amazon opened its largest Amazon Go format store yet, and the first one with made-to-order offerings.
  • Chipotle’s Q1 earnings surpassed expectations, though margins shrank with inflationary costs of beef and avocados.

FROM THE CREW

Morning Brew Leadership (MB/L) has officially launched! And we put the Morning Brew spin on it, giving you actionable lessons in a fun, engaging environment—unlike what some other leadership programs offer.

So, what is MB/L? In this 8-week education program, students will learn about the tactics of leadership, including hiring, delegation, strategy, and execution. This might sound like what you’d get from a run-of-the-mill leadership course, but MB/L is designed to make topics that can feel overwhelming feel approachable instead.

What’s more, MB/L helps you build authentic relationships with your fellow students that go beyond the virtual classroom. To top it all off, access to alumni benefits means your professional growth won’t stop at graduation.

Download the syllabus now to find out everything you’ll learn in Morning Brew Leadership. (Psst: You can also save $500 on tuition if you join our founding cohort!)

SWAPPING SKUS

Today’s top retail reads.

It is what it is: Furniture retailers have adapted to ocean shipping delays and backlogs by simply accepting supply-chain uncertainty. (Retail Dive)

Full circle: Meanwhile…shipping congestions at Chinese ports are exacerbating global supply-chain issues amid Beijing’s stringent Covid-19 restrictions. (Bloomberg)

Digital first: True Religion’s CEO on the retailer’s DTC transformation, as it hopes to triple online revenues and bolster its e-comm biz. (Modern Retail)

Listen: Check out Morning Brew co-founder Alex Lieberman’s interview with model-turned-CEO Kathy Ireland, who talks about transitioning careers and shares how she ultimately overcame doubt and criticism to create the multibillion-dollar business she runs today. Listen to Imposters here.

SHARE THE BREW

Share Retail Brew with your coworkers, acquire free Brew swag, and then make new friends as a result of your fresh Brew swag.

We’re saying we’ll give you free stuff and more friends if you share a link. One link.

Your referral count: 2

Click to Share

Or copy & paste your referral link to others:
morningbrew.com/retail/r/?kid=303a04a9

 

Written by Erin Cabrey, Katishi Maake, and Glenda Toma

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.

WANT MORE BREW?

Industry news, with a sense of humor →

  • HR Brew: analysis of the employee-employer relationship
  • IT Brew: moving business forward; innovation analysis for the CTO, CIO & every IT pro in-between

Tips for smarter living →

Podcasts → Business Casual, Founder's Journal, Imposters, and The Money with Katie Show

YouTube

Accelerate Your Career →

  • MB/A: virtual 8-week program designed to broaden your skill set
ADVERTISE // CAREERS // SHOP // FAQ

Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here.
View our privacy policy here.

Copyright © 2022 Morning Brew. All rights reserved.
22 W 19th St, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10011

Key phrases

Older messages

☕️ Influencers and their podcasts

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Why marketers are flocking to influencer-led pods. April 27, 2022 Marketing Brew TOGETHER WITH #paid Happy Wednesday. We always want to get to know our readers better, which is why we put together this

☕ Cool chemistry

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Why a long-ignored battery chemistry is catching on. April 27, 2022 Emerging Tech Brew TOGETHER WITH American Express Happy Wednesday. Yesterday, Ford announced it would start making F-150 Lightning

☕️ 401(crypto)

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

The latest updates on Elon Musk and Twitter... April 27, 2022 View Online | Sign Up | Shop Morning Brew TOGETHER WITH Augustinus Bader Good morning. If you've been slacking on your Jeopardy!

☕️ Inventions

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

The story behind Staybl. April 26, 2022 Marketing Brew TOGETHER WITH TelevisaUnivision It's Tuesday. It's also National Pretzel Day. If you find yourself in a mall today, grab some (free)

☕️ Back to you

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Cash-back app raises $$. April 26, 2022 Retail Brew TOGETHER WITH Attest Howdy. As you're making your lunch choices for the rest of the week, please note that—while they may sound good as described

You Might Also Like

AI hallucinates software packages and devs download them – even if potentially poisoned with malware [Fri Mar 29 2024]

Friday, March 29, 2024

Hi The Register Subscriber | Log in The Register {* Daily Headlines *} 29 March 2024 Illustration of someone in a hoodie looking at a bench with a cloud over it AI hallucinates software packages and

What A Day: Clown by law

Friday, March 29, 2024

Trump's lawyers are having another rough one. And the mainstream media could learn a lesson from the legal world about handling corruption. Thursday, March 28, 2024 BY CROOKED MEDIA —Steve Bannon,

🌶️ Is it getting hot in here?

Friday, March 29, 2024

Introducing our theme for April plus fun stuff to read, watch, and click on. March 28, 2024 Open in new tab Did a friend forward this? Subscribe today! April's Theme is SPICY It was chosen by our

What 58 Famous People Smell Like

Friday, March 29, 2024

Here's what you missed on the Strategist. The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission. What

Trump Would Need New Tactics to Steal the 2024 Election

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Columns and commentary on news, politics, business, and technology from the Intelligencer team. Intelligencer early and often Trump Would Need New Tactics to Steal the 2024 Election Many avenues Trump

Let’s go fast

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Plus: The worst cleaning tool we've ever tried ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Friday Briefing: Sam Bankman-Fried gets 25 years

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Plus, three video game adventures for the weekend. View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story Ad Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition March 29, 2024 Author Headshot By Justin Porter

Elevate Your Events: Exclusive Discount Inside!

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Explore the future of events at #NWES2024, April 3-4 in Seattle! GeekWire is pleased to present this message to our Pacific NW readers. Explore the future of events at #NWES2024, April 3-4 in Seattle!

Framing a Pitch

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Opening Day Edition ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

☕ We’ll be watching you

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Tag Heuer's watchmaking apprenticeship program. March 28, 2024 Retail Brew PRESENTED BY Listrak Hey hey, everyone. It seems people are unsure whether 7-Eleven's hot dog-flavored sparkling water