Latest news with #MarianMakkar
Sydney Morning Herald
28-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
How beauty giants are battling it out for Australian shoppers
To this end, Wesfarmers has been expanding its beauty offerings in Priceline and a new dedicated beauty store atomica, while Adore Beauty launched its first bricks-and-mortar store in Melbourne last year after 25 years in business. Dr Marian Makkar, a senior marketing lecturer at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, says differentiation is a key challenge for multi-brand retailers. Exclusive brand partnerships and a warm, bespoke customer service experience with an emphasis on bricks-and-mortar retail are central. 'When you go into the retail space itself, you want to feel like an exclusive customer,' she says. For Mecca, staff training is an essential part of the offering, with the brand investing four per cent of turnover in education. Loading 'Our team members are true beauty experts – deeply knowledgeable about our brands, products, and application techniques – and skilled at sharing that expertise in a warm, engaging, and high-touch way,' the company told this masthead. While Sephora's two main competitors in Australia – Mecca and Priceline – are Australian-owned, Cheah thinks its international positioning gives the brand an edge. 'We go back to the profile of our consumers, and they're more well travelled. The fact they come to Sephora, they can shop anywhere in the region and they will still be able to earn points,' she says. 'We bring global brand equity and exclusive brand partnerships.' Makkar attributes Mecca's success in part to its high concentration of exclusive brands (around 80 per cent). It appears to be working, with revenue growing from $971,523 in 2022 to an estimated $1.3 billion for the 2025 financial year. Sephora was unable to say what percentage of its more than 500 brands were exclusive, but it's clear that it's a strategy pivotal to retailers' success, at a time when consumers can order online or buy in store. This month, Sephora will add Lady Gaga's Haus Labs to its stable of Sephora-only brands in the Asia-Pacific region, which also includes Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Rihanna's Fenty Beauty. First launched in 2019 on Amazon, Haus Labs relaunched in 2022 with Sephora. Cheah thinks this has been key to it becoming one of the highest-earning celebrity beauty brands today. 'With all due respect to Amazon, I think Haus Lab's story is better communicated [at Sephora], and I think the brand appreciates that out of us as well,' says Cheah. In today's oversaturated market of celebrity beauty brands, it takes more than a famous face to move product. 'Consumers today are so savvy. They won't spend money on products that don't work, no matter how inexpensive they are,' says Cheah. She thinks Haus Lab's focus on 'clean beauty' (defined by Sephora as products free from ingredients such as phthalates, sulphates and parabens), skincare-based make-up and focus on social issues (a portion of every sale goes to support Gaga's charity, Born this Way Foundation) have all contributed to its success. In June, Sephora and Haus Labs will create 31 activations across Australia in line with Global Pride Month. Cheah says Haus Lab's foundation is the top-selling foundation in US Sephora, with similar hopes for the Australian market. Sephora has made a concerted effort to support Australian beauty brands too – most notably Ultra Violette, a sun care brand that's seen rapid success since launching in 2019. Loading Ultra Violette is sold exclusively in store at Sephora Australia, and has recently entered into the US and Asian markets, again with the help of Sephora. But securing that coveted 'exclusivity' can be tough – Ultra Violette is also available direct from its website and on The Iconic. Cheah is pragmatic. 'A brand deserves to have the brand available to consumers in the way they would like to be. We cannot put a frame around that,' she says. 'In some cases, like Ultra Violette, we would love for them to just be in Sephora and only in Sephora because that gives them a greater marketing edge as well with us.' Indeed, when brands have the ability to go direct to consumer, why enter an exclusive partnership with a retailer like Sephora? Cheah says a partnership offers a brand access to their global supply chain, consumer data, merchandising and advice on product development. And she thinks having multiple fronts in different retailers can confuse shoppers about a brand's messaging. From a consumer standpoint, Makkar says multi-retailers offer convenience for busy shoppers. 'People are looking for a one-stop shop … you have options all the way from Australian brands, all the way to international brands.'
The Age
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
How beauty giants are battling it out for Australian shoppers
To this end, Wesfarmers has been expanding its beauty offerings in Priceline and a new dedicated beauty store atomica, while Adore Beauty launched its first bricks-and-mortar store in Melbourne last year after 25 years in business. Dr Marian Makkar, a senior marketing lecturer at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, says differentiation is a key challenge for multi-brand retailers. Exclusive brand partnerships and a warm, bespoke customer service experience with an emphasis on bricks-and-mortar retail are central. 'When you go into the retail space itself, you want to feel like an exclusive customer,' she says. For Mecca, staff training is an essential part of the offering, with the brand investing four per cent of turnover in education. Loading 'Our team members are true beauty experts – deeply knowledgeable about our brands, products, and application techniques – and skilled at sharing that expertise in a warm, engaging, and high-touch way,' the company told this masthead. While Sephora's two main competitors in Australia – Mecca and Priceline – are Australian-owned, Cheah thinks its international positioning gives the brand an edge. 'We go back to the profile of our consumers, and they're more well travelled. The fact they come to Sephora, they can shop anywhere in the region and they will still be able to earn points,' she says. 'We bring global brand equity and exclusive brand partnerships.' Makkar attributes Mecca's success in part to its high concentration of exclusive brands (around 80 per cent). It appears to be working, with revenue growing from $971,523 in 2022 to an estimated $1.3 billion for the 2025 financial year. Sephora was unable to say what percentage of its more than 500 brands were exclusive, but it's clear that it's a strategy pivotal to retailers' success, at a time when consumers can order online or buy in store. This month, Sephora will add Lady Gaga's Haus Labs to its stable of Sephora-only brands in the Asia-Pacific region, which also includes Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Rihanna's Fenty Beauty. First launched in 2019 on Amazon, Haus Labs relaunched in 2022 with Sephora. Cheah thinks this has been key to it becoming one of the highest-earning celebrity beauty brands today. 'With all due respect to Amazon, I think Haus Lab's story is better communicated [at Sephora], and I think the brand appreciates that out of us as well,' says Cheah. In today's oversaturated market of celebrity beauty brands, it takes more than a famous face to move product. 'Consumers today are so savvy. They won't spend money on products that don't work, no matter how inexpensive they are,' says Cheah. She thinks Haus Lab's focus on 'clean beauty' (defined by Sephora as products free from ingredients such as phthalates, sulphates and parabens), skincare-based make-up and focus on social issues (a portion of every sale goes to support Gaga's charity, Born this Way Foundation) have all contributed to its success. In June, Sephora and Haus Labs will create 31 activations across Australia in line with Global Pride Month. Cheah says Haus Lab's foundation is the top-selling foundation in US Sephora, with similar hopes for the Australian market. Sephora has made a concerted effort to support Australian beauty brands too – most notably Ultra Violette, a sun care brand that's seen rapid success since launching in 2019. Loading Ultra Violette is sold exclusively in store at Sephora Australia, and has recently entered into the US and Asian markets, again with the help of Sephora. But securing that coveted 'exclusivity' can be tough – Ultra Violette is also available direct from its website and on The Iconic. Cheah is pragmatic. 'A brand deserves to have the brand available to consumers in the way they would like to be. We cannot put a frame around that,' she says. 'In some cases, like Ultra Violette, we would love for them to just be in Sephora and only in Sephora because that gives them a greater marketing edge as well with us.' Indeed, when brands have the ability to go direct to consumer, why enter an exclusive partnership with a retailer like Sephora? Cheah says a partnership offers a brand access to their global supply chain, consumer data, merchandising and advice on product development. And she thinks having multiple fronts in different retailers can confuse shoppers about a brand's messaging. From a consumer standpoint, Makkar says multi-retailers offer convenience for busy shoppers. 'People are looking for a one-stop shop … you have options all the way from Australian brands, all the way to international brands.'
RNZ News
08-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- RNZ News
Ever wanted to ditch the 9-to-5 and teach snowsports? We followed people who did it for 10 years
By Marian Makkar, Ann-Marie Kennedy and Samuelson Appau of A young athlete freestyle skier having fun while running downhill in beautiful landscape on sunny day during winter season. Photo: Mandic Jovan / 123RF Workplace burnout - a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion - and the Covid pandemic have sparked a rethink of the traditional 9-to-5 job. It's been estimated 30 percent of the Australian workforce is experiencing some degree of burnout, raising serious concerns about the possible impacts on mental health. Is it possible - and if so, wise - to take addressing burnout into your own hands? Some responses to the problem, such as "micro-retirement", have enjoyed recent popularity on social media. But a small number of people take an even more radical approach - dumping the 9-to-5 path entirely for careers that prioritise meaning, enjoyment and personal growth. We sought to find out how this move played out for one group in particular - snowsports instructors. Our research - published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing - covers a 10.5-year study of snowsports instructors who left their 9-to-5 jobs for a meaningful career on the slopes of Canada, Japan, the United States and New Zealand. We looked at instructors' journeys into the lifestyle, how they managed their new careers, and what led some to eventually return to the 9-to-5. We interviewed 13 snowsports instructors aged 25 to 40 (seven men, six women), collected image and video artefacts, followed social media accounts and surveyed snow school reports. Our lead researcher also participated in the lifestyle herself. All our participants had at least a bachelor degree and previous steady careers in fields such as education or information technology. During our decade-long field work, we found instructors earned just enough money to maintain this lifestyle, often travelling with their possessions in one or two bags. Beyond the adrenaline and beauty of a life in the snow, we found people were first motivated to enter this career to escape the corporate world and ties of modern life. One participant, Lars, said: "If you just get a job, you get maybe 20 days off a year for the next 40 years, and once you stop, once you've got a job and a house and a mortgage and a kid … you're trapped." At the centre of our research was the idea of building a career around the ancient Greek concept of "eudaimonia". This term is sometimes translated to "happiness" in English, but its broader connotations mean it's closer to " flourishing " and involves a sense of purpose and living a life of virtue. That's in contrast to the related concept of " hedonism " - which centres on the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake. Eudaimonia is meant to make us reflect on life's purpose, potential and meaning. As our participants mastered the sport and career, they moved from mere enjoyment or hedonism of being in the snow to finding meaning and purpose in their jobs. They felt a sense of accomplishment and appreciation of snowsports as a sport and job requiring dedication, care and commitment. New Zealand skier Alice Robinson at a competition earlier this year. Photo: PHOTOSPORT However, with every career there are demands that shape how people manage work and purposeful pursuits. Instructors must bear financial costs such as buying their own equipment, paying for certifications and accommodation. Eventually the lifestyle was not sustainable for some due to precarious working conditions and minimal wages. Relying on the weather to produce snow, unfair compensation and fixed-term contracts wore many down. An unhappy participant confessed: "You think about money all day everyday … working out the costs, staffing and lesson prices! Yet they (ski resort managers) tell me as an instructor that I shouldn't think about my monetary work. Well, if it wasn't about the money, you wouldn't charge as much for lessons." In the period we studied, six returned to a regular 9-to-5 job. The late American anthropologist David Graeber coined the phrase " bullshit jobs " to describe jobs that comprise meaningless tasks that add no real value aside from providing a salary. Our study offers a window into the lives of those who sought an alternative, trying to build something they love into the daily work they do to earn a living. For many, despite challenges the ability to ride slopes daily remained more appealing than a desk job. One told us: "At university my first management lecturer said, 'you could go on to be a CEO, earn $300,000 a year and have a month off every year to go skiing', and I said, 'or I could go skiing every day and still afford to eat and pay my rent'. It's all I really need." But things didn't work out for all of them. The experience of those who left suggests choosing meaningful work can be difficult and can force people out if the surrounding organisational system is not supportive. * Marian Makkar, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, RMIT University; Ann-Marie Kennedy, Professor of Marketing, University of Canterbury; Samuelson Appau, Assistant Professor, Melbourne Business School - This story originally appeared on The Conversation .
