Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! This week we dive into Danone’s $1.15B acquisition of Huel—and what it says about the future of meal replacement, GLP-1 consumers, and food as pure function.
We also cover Alix Earle’s skincare launch (Reale Actives), Cardi B’s surprisingly well-aligned haircare line, Olaplex’s acquisition by Henkel after losing 95% of its market cap, the rise of hard sodas, and Lucille—a long-overdue dignity-first nutrition brand for older adults. Let’s get into it!
We recently wrote a report with data from our friends at Faire highlighting the dichotomy of “clean” vs. science-forward positioning for beauty and wellness brands. Check it out here.
The State of Beauty & Wellness
Beauty and wellness is one of the most active—and most crowded—spaces in consumer right now. The shelves are fuller, the claims are louder, and retail buyers at every level are spending real time hunting for products that feel differentiated and easy to explain to a customer who’s already overwhelmed.
https://www.expresscheckout.co/p/the-state-of-beauty-and-wellness
The Breakdown
00:00 Intro
03:13 Danone bets on Huel
18:07 Alix Earle launches a brand
24:22 Cardi B's new haircare brand
26:07 Olaplex gets acquired
27:29 The "hard soda" trend
32:49 The future of senior nutrition
35:44 Wrap-up
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