Why brands are finally slowing down and who has directed it

For a long time, industries have been stuck in a cycle of constant product launches.

Now, that formula appears to be losing its power as consumers become increasingly selective about what earns their attention, money and loyalty. Instead, people seem to be buying with far more intention. They want products that genuinely fit into their routines, align with their values, and actually deserve a place in their lives.

Brands are beginning to respond to this change in behaviour.  When Unilever recently told its teams to stop launching so many new products and focus on a “fewer, better” approach, rather than constant product launches it felt less like a trend and more like a correction. The industry has spent years rewarding quantity, but now both consumers and retailers are becoming more selective.
Honestly, this makes sense.

Launches appear driven more by the need to maintain visibility and hype than by a clear product gap or consumer need.
This feels more strategic and less critical.

What’s becoming increasingly clear is that visibility alone is no longer enough.

Retailers are beginning to reflect this shift in different ways. Mass retailers across Australasia, including Chemist Warehouse, Kmart and Woolworths, are prioritising brands that can consistently perform at scale. Meanwhile, retailers such as Mecca and Sephora look for strong storytelling, clear positioning and hero products that consumers actively seek out.

To me, this feels like a recalibration of the industry rather than a slowdown.

Consumers still love beauty; they are just becoming more intentional about what they buy and why they buy it.

I believe this is something that a lot of New Zealand beauty brands have already been talking about for years, particularly around sustainability and purposeful product development. Many smaller Australasian brands have long prioritised quality and longevity.

This is why comments from Abby Packer from Neat resonate so strongly. She spoke about the industry’s obsession with constant launches and whether that can ever really align with sustainability.

“For ethical beauty to be truly ethical, you need to look beyond the product itself. It requires brands to consider how they operate, what they create, and why they create it.” Abby Packer

A lot of brands talk about sustainability through packaging choices and marketing campaigns. It requires brands to carefully evaluate not only what they create, but whether it needs to genuinely exist in the first place. If products are created primarily to maintain relevance or feed a marketing drive, it raises some important questions about what sustainable growth really looks like.

I believe that in the future of the industry, the brands that will last will be the ones that know exactly who they are, what they stand for, and why their products exist in the first place.

The brands most likely to thrive won’t be the ones launching the most products. The brands that will last will be the ones that know exactly who they are, what they stand for, and why their products exist in the first place. They’ll be the ones creating products with a clear purpose, a clear audience and a compelling reason to exist.

Sophie