As Nobody’s Child launches new beauty line, is now the right time for fashion players to branch out?

Fashion retailer Nobody’s Child is branching out into the beauty segment as it announced the Goddess Collection – which includes perfume, home fragrance and skin care. 

The line due to launch in September will be stocked in John Lewis, M&S and Boots alongside the brand’s online and bricks-and-mortar stores, with prices ranging between £12 and £35, as first reported by Cosmetics Business. 

The retailer, which markets itself as an ethical alternative to high street options, follows in the footsteps of a host of different fashion retailers including H&M, Zara, Primark, Mango and more. 

Retail Week explores if now is the right time for fashion retailers to take a share of the beauty market and whether distribution power is all it takes to break into the segment. 

Right here, right now? 

Nobody’s Child chief executive Jody Plows said the beauty segment was the next “natural” step for the retailer after it launched a lifestyle category in 2023. 

She added: “As part of our lifestyle brand journey we wanted to offer consumers that full product complement, and beauty was where we landed.” 

As the beauty category has shown remarkable resilience during a period of economic uncertainty, it is no surprise that fashion players are all looking to get a share of the pie, says Kate Doherty, senior retail analyst at Lumina Intelligence. 

“Making people feel good is at the heart of both beauty and fashion, so a holistic, complementary approach from brands that tap into both markets makes sense, particularly for those seeking new growth opportunities.   

“While fashion notoriously suffers when consumer discretionary spend is subdued, we’ve seen from the lipstick effect that beauty is more resilient, bringing fashion brands alternative revenue streams.” 

And with Ted Baker shutting its stores, there is a gap in the market that Nobody’s Child could take advantage of, especially because of its ties to John Lewis, M&S and Boots. 

Beth Bloomfield, senior retail analyst at Lumina Intelligence, says: “Partnerships with retailers such as John Lewis, M&S and Boots provide Nobody’s Child with a wide distribution, and differing demographics should help Nobody’s Child hone its offer. Retailers such as Ted Baker have had success in the segment so there is no reason why Nobody’s Child can’t succeed provided it gets its pricing strategy and product offer right.” 

Is it scalable?

Fashion retailers benefit from having existing infrastructure and distribution power when it comes to the launch of a new beauty line, but is that all it takes to guarantee success?

Tash Van Boxel, retail analyst at Global Data, says it is getting harder to stand out and scale in the category because it is highly saturated.

She says: “The health and beauty space is becoming increasingly saturated so it will likely be difficult for these clothing and footwear brands to differentiate themselves from existing players. Consumers may trial them if they are already shopping via the website or in-store, but they are unlikely to seek out the beauty ranges specifically.”

Nobody’s Child’s best shot at success may be to leverage the same brand identity that has made it stand out in the fashion segment.

Doherty says: “To ensure Nobody’s Child maximises on its existing loyal following, it is imperative that its beauty line reflects the individual style of its fashion offer in terms of product choice, branding and ethical stance.”