The industry continues to bolster support of Indie Beauty

05-Aug-2019 - Last updated on 05-Aug-2019 at 17:16 GMT

Late last week in-cosmetics announced that the show is formally expanding its indie brand programing for 2019. This year’s North American edition of the tradeshow will include the new Indie Trail feature as well as dedicated tours and PCPC content for independent cosmetics and personal care brand leaders.

“The new Trail and Tour responds directly to calls from last year to make it easier for indie brands to meet relevant suppliers and make the most of their time at the show,” explains a media release from Reed Exhibitions, the events organizing company behind the in-cosmetics shows (and some 500 other events around the world).

The Indie Trail made its debut at this year’s in-cosmetics global event in Paris and featured some 34 cosmetics and personal care ingredient suppliers, all catering to the needs of independent, startup, and niche brands, as Cosmetics Design reported.

And companies participating in the feature at in-cosmetics North America later this year “can offer the latest innovative ingredients in smaller quantities to suit a 100kg production, allowing indie brands to match the NPD [new product development] pace of major cosmetic manufacturers,” according to the release.

Follow the money

The in-cosmetics media release highlights indie beauty’s exponential growth and market share gains: citing 2019 data from market researcher Kline that “privately-owned US independent brands who in the past several years recorded high double-digit to triple-digit growth [are] outpacing total market growth.”

The release also points to “the popularity of Amazon’s Indie Beauty shop [as a] testament to the sector’s growing influence.”

And, Karen Young, CEO of marketing and product development firm The Young Group and an in-cosmetics North America partner, has this to say: “With triple-digit market growth over the past few years, it’s evident that Indie brands are truly disrupting the North American market and beyond, making this a really exciting time to partner and launch the Indie Trail and Tour at in-cosmetics North America.”

Follow the guidelines

Young will curate the first North American installment of the in-cosmetics Indie Trail feature. And, Young is also guiding tours of the trail at in-cosmetics North America, helping brand leaders connect with suppliers and discover ingredients.

“These fledgling brands,” she says in the recent Reed Exhibitions media release, “have so many unknown factors to consider, and this new part of the show, dedicated exclusively to their needs, will be a real helping hand to enable them to become the personal care and beauty brands of the future.”

Experts from the Personal Care Products Council will also be on hand at the show sharing insights with indie brand leaders about ingredient naming and labeling protocol.

“Partnering with leading organizations and local industry experts - who have an in-depth understanding of the North American beauty market - allows us to offer the most relevant insights and experiences at the event,” says Reed Exhibitions events director Daniel Zanetti.

“Launching the new trail and tour demonstrates,” he says, “that, as one of the only shows offering a totally free program, in-cosmetics North America is actively recognising and supporting small businesses by implementing targeted initiatives for the indie brand sector. We truly believe that in-cosmetics North America 2019 will offer an all-round experience for companies of all sizes.”

Follow the leader

The rush to serve, support, and celebrate independent beauty businesses is on. In our 2019 trends forecast video, Cosmetics Design called this the year of “indie integration;” and, we’re seeing evidence of integration at every turn.

Now of course, independent brands, suppliers, manufacturers are nothing new in the industry. But even legacy ventures like ICMAD (the non-profit professional organization with a membership of International Cosmetics Manufacturers And Distributors) rebranded their CITY Awards for 2019 as the Indie Beauty Innovators Awards, bringing emphasis to the current ‘indie beauty’ movement.

And, the in-cosmetics North America Indie Trail announcement itself comes just weeks before IBMG’s first Uplink Live event is set to launch in New York City. Uplink Live is a new 2-day tradeshow where indie brands can connect with suppliers and service providers. Read more here on Cosmetics Design.

The Indie Beauty Media Group (IBMG) is closely identified with the indie beauty movement, as the organization behind Indie Beauty Expo events around the world, BeautyX educational summits for aspiring founders and brand leaders, Beauty Independent content, as well as numerous retail deals that bring indie brands to mainstream consumers, and the online Uplink program which connects indie brands with support services and suppliers.

In this context, the expansion of in-cosmetics North America’s indie programming should come as no surprise. in-cosmetics North America is a free event set to take place in New York City on Wednesday October 23rd and Thursday the 24th at the Javits Convention Center. To learn more, click here.

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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.