Walgreens to give owned-brand beauty line Botanics wider launch

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance will be introducing its latest own brand, called Botanics, within the next six months, the company announced Wednesday at its quarterly earnings call. 

"Our own brands are performing well and currently represent over 15% of beauty sales in our 'Beauty Differentiation' stores," Walgreens Boots Alliance EVP and global CFO George Fairweather told analysts Wednesday morning. "We have now recruited beauty [consultants] across more than 1,800 stores, which is helping to drive No7 sales and gross profit. ... Repurchase levels of No7 products have been very encouraging and Soap & Glory has also gotten off to a good start."

It's on that success that Walgreens will build its Botanics brand, a skin care and cosmetics line that harnesses the power of plants.

"Looking ahead, we're now developing plans to introduce our enhanced beauty offering to more than 1,000 additional stores by the end of the calendar year," Fairweather said.

Botanics played a role in the initial rollout of Walgreens' Beauty Differentiation stores piloted in Phoenix.

“[The beauty experience] is about introducing three things," Alex Gourlay, co-COO Walgreens Boots Alliance shared at the initial onset of the program two years ago. "First of all the brands — No7, Botanics [and] our new brand Soap & Glory. Secondly, a new consultant model, which allows us to really get across a differentiating experience. And thirdly enhancements to the look and feel [of the beauty fixtures].”