Editors' Top Reads: News from Superdrug, Merit, Elle Sera and more...
Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.beauty team.
The Interview: Aila Morin, founding CMO at Merit, on marking five years of a minimalist beauty trailblazer
Merit is five years old. The brand was born in the wake of the pandemic and immediately stood out by dint of ensuring the wearer did not stand out. In a sea of make-up launches fronted by celebrities and MUAs that promoted high-impact - and often complex - looks for a beauty-obsessed Gen Z audience, Merit delivered understatement.
It unashamedly focused on Millennial and Gen X women - leaving the youngsters to everyone else - for whom it created multi-tasking essentials that enhanced their beauty and their lives.
At the heart of its offer is the Minimalist (the name tells you all you need to know) foundation/concealer stick, and over the years, it has slowly added to its range with equally hard-working products for the cheeks, eyes and skin. There's also a great fragrance too. Its latest launch, to mark its anniversary, is the Signature Lip Blush, which is a lipstick/lip balm hybrid that delivers hydration and buildable colour for a blurred matte finish. It's typical of the brand's approach.
We had the good fortune to interview founding CMO Aila Morin, who talks us through the brand's story so far, its approach to NPD, its global expansion and its ambitions for the future. It's an enlightening read on how to gain stand-out in a crowded market and the importance of unswerving commitment to your purpose.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.
Superdrug to open 30 UK stores with around 600 new jobs
Health and beauty chain Superdrug has revealed plans to open 30 new stores this year, reinforcing its commitment to the UK retail sector. The expansion is expected to create around 600 jobs nationwide.
The retailer also plans to continue its focus on "large-format destination stores and retail park locations" and aims to complete 60 store refits this year, part of a "significant investment" across its estate.
Superdrug says the expansion responds to "strong customer demand" in its existing stores - a positive sign in a highly competitive market. By growing its store footprint, the chain is positioning itself to strengthen its presence in the UK beauty sector and capture a larger share of the growing health and beauty market.
The combination of new stores and store refits also demonstrates Superdrug’s commitment to enhancing the in-store experience, ensuring it remains relevant to evolving customer expectations. Read more here.
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
The Interview: Nima Jalali on building Salt & Stone into bodycare’s breakout brand
You’ve probably heard of Salt & Stone, but like me, you may not have known much about its beginnings. Nima Jalali, founder of Salt & Stone, has largely stayed out of the spotlight, even as the brand has quietly become bodycare’s breakout success story.
Launched in 2017, Salt & Stone now sells one deodorant every six seconds and ranks as the number-one deodorant brand globally at Sephora. It’s stocked in more than 1,700 doors across 40 countries and surpassed $140 million in revenues in 2025.
When I got the chance to sit down with Jalali, I found his unconventional route into beauty fascinating. A former professional snowboarder, he came to the category after a knee injury prompted a shift toward a more natural lifestyle. "I found that nothing on the market checked all the boxes in terms of ingredients, performance, scent, and design," he told me. That frustration became the foundation of Salt & Stone.
The brand’s DNA - performance-driven, design-led, rooted in scent - feels tightly controlled, even as it scales aggressively. From selective retail partnerships to global expansion and a recent Aspen Mountain activation with Olympic skier Alex Hall, growth has been ambitious but measured.
For me, this conversation pulls back the curtain on a brand that feels ubiquitous right now. Behind the cult deodorants and polished packaging is a founder building deliberately and proving that in prestige bodycare, you don’t have to be loud to lead.
Chloé Burney, Senior News & Features Writer.
The Interview: Elle Sera's founder on inside-out beauty, intelligent formulation and community power
In a wellness landscape often dominated by trends, celebrity endorsements, and one-size-fits-all solutions, Elle Sera has carved out a distinctive space.
Founded during the quiet of lockdown, the UK-based brand emerged from a simple yet powerful insight: women’s supplements didn’t reflect the ambition, sophistication, or lived reality of modern women.
With a focus on intelligent formulation, inside-out beauty, and timeless design, Elle Sera blends performance with elevated aesthetics, drawing inspiration from the confidence and grace of French women.
In this interview with TheIndustry.beauty, founder Elissa Corrigan discusses the journey behind the brand, the philosophy driving its products, and the community-centred approach that continues to shape its evolution.
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
