Dive Brief:
- Skin care brand La Roche-Posay is launching in select Walmart stores, according to a Friday press release.
- La Roche-Posay’s products are available in 1,460 Walmart locations. Shoppers can purchase some of the brand’s most popular products, including moisturizers, sunscreens, balms, acne treatments and serums.
- Through the retail collaboration, Walmart pharmacists will act as specialized skin care advisers and receive training to provide personalized consultations to customers.
Dive Insight:
Walmart is doubling down on its beauty push.
Through its partnership with La Roche-Posay, Walmart aims to make advanced skin care more accessible to customers while offering an elevated retail experience.
“Our beauty strategy is anchored in ensuring customers have access to the brands and products they need, want and love, across every tier of the category,” Vinima Shekhar, vice president of beauty at Walmart U.S., said in a statement. “Through the combination of our trusted, knowledgeable team of pharmacists and the science-backed skin care of La Roche-Posay, Walmart will further strengthen its place as a leading skin care destination."
Prior to its La Roche-Posay collaboration, Walmart has integrated more beauty products into its online and in-store selection. In 2024, the retail giant grew its assortment of premium beauty items on its online marketplace, including hair care, skin care and hair styling tools. The retailer recently added more than 60 brands to its premium beauty lineup, such as Curology, Being and Pretty Smart.
Walmart last year began piloting Beauty Bars at 40 locations, where customers could view new products, test samples and ask beauty experts questions.
As Walmart ventures further into the beauty market, TikTok Shop and Amazon are expected to gain share. By 2030, Sephora, Sally Beauty and Ulta’s market share is projected to dip to 19%, down from 20% in 2024. In contrast, Amazon’s beauty market share is projected to reach 15%, an increase from 10% in 2024, according to a report by TD Cowen. Such growth would place Amazon second to Walmart in the beauty segment.
While Walmart vies for more beauty customers, those shoppers appear to be undeterred by economic uncertainty. Mass market beauty sales recently outperformed prestige, according to a Circana report released in December.
