Stila to Launch Mass Retail Cosmetics

Stila to Launch Mass Retail Cosmetics

Insight by Leah

A recent interview with Stila’s new CEO, Lynn Tilton, revealed some interesting plans to broaden the appeal of the brand.  Tilton mentioned that she plans to reduce the brand’s dependence on "middlemen" and reach out to consumers directly through channels including HSN, QVC, infomercials and online.  As well, Tilton revealed that she plans to launch a "a new mass line, called Simply Stila," and that this line will retail for $7.99.  These are big plans and big changes for Stila, which had previously enjoyed a unique cult following, particularly among make-up artists.  However, as with many brands in this economy, Stila had recently suffered poor sales and declining market share prior to the private equity bailout by Tilton’s firm, Patriarch.  Tilton is taking an interesting and increasingly popular approach by focusing on channels like HSN and QVC, and by combining TV spots and infomercials with online awareness.  This novel approach will allow Stila to become more accessible to customers that previously may not have bought Stila products either due to limited purchasing outlets and/or price points   As well, Tilton mentioned that Stila would be working with some well-known make-up artists to further build both professional and consumer appeal for the brand. There is definitely  an opportunity for Stila to leverage its cult following similar to how Harley Davidson did in the 1980’s, and expand to a larger consumer base. It will be interesting to see how Stila’s foray into mass retail and various sales channels play out.

Read the complete interview here on Butterfly Diary blog.