At eXPD8 beauty, all our clients are different. Different governance structures. Different product sets. Different outcome requirements. This means, when it comes to delivering execution perfection, first time… every time, we don’t take a one size fits all approach. Rather, we consult, considering a range of requirements which we understand can change at a moment’s notice. Rather than just taking orders, we think strategically about what is best for our clients, drawing upon our two decades of retail support services experience, and layering on our beauty and cosmetics expertise. It’s what sets us apart.

Working across 9 brands in a wide range of major retailers, with Tesco being our main partner, we understand the importance of really getting to know our clients’ brands, essentially operating as an extension of their businesses. We know their customer demographics and how each product set is tailored to each – and we know how to reach those customers with the right promotion, in the right place at the right time, ensuring everything is fully visible and available. Because we’re with our clients throughout the lifecycle of a specific range of products, we have a deep understanding of how to drive sales for them.

Clarity in Communications

Part of the way in which we deliver a best-in-class service is by conducting regular catchups with our clients; this can take the form of Teams calls, or directly face-to-face on occasion. It’s important to ensure that these are followed up with comprehensive notes, so that we don’t miss important information. So that our account managers can really understand our clients, each only works with a few brands at a time, meaning they can really get into the detail, which is so crucial when planning the sorts of complex calls required. Of course, there’s consistent communication via email, to ensure everything is on-track and delivering.

Listen, Learn, Iterate

Being a consultative retail support services agency means really listening to our clients – in many ways, it’s the most important skill we have. By really listening and understanding our clients, we are able tailor briefs more precisely, and this means the performance of any given call is better than it might be at an agency that take a more generic approach to briefs. From there, once a call completes, we learn through analysing the data, and pass those insights to our clients, all the while thinking about how we can optimise the next wave of activity – this positive feedback loop is where the real results happen. It’s eXPD8 beauty’s USP.

Agile & Responsive

We work in a fast-paced industry. Cosmetics, as a category, is complex. In addition to the wide product sets, there’s the prices, shades and strips, and this can be difficult for brands to get right, particularly at scale. We’re able to manage this effectively, because of the knowledge that has built up within our business. It means when things do change, we’re able to respond dynamically. There’s rarely something we haven’t dealt with elsewhere, and if the challenge is new, we have the resilience to respond. Having Client Services Controller Claire Johns at the helm, with her 15 years’ experience, makes all the difference.

Moving with the Market

At eXPD8 beauty, we’re trend-spotters – it’s not just about understanding our clients’ businesses, it’s about knowing what consumers want and how those trends affect our clients strategically. Since the pandemic of ’20 and ’21 for example, consumer attitudes to hygiene have changed, so we’re responding to that – the culture of cosmetics testing has changed. Nonetheless, cosmetics are something customers still buy in store – it’s the preference. So, ensuring that kits are accurate is more important than ever. And with our robust training systems, our clients are assured the Field team are up to date with the latest best-practice.

Direct Relationships with Retailers

Having great relationships with our clients is naturally important, but so is having the same with our retailers – this means at all levels of the business, all over the UK, we’re able to deliver the most effective service possible. Through the account management team, our clients are essentially interacting with the stores themselves, and the Field team are the ones translating that relationship into positive action. It’s a dialogue. Information goes both ways, and we feedback in as near real-time as possible, so that clients can get a real sense of what is happening with their activity – to us, it’s a conversation – a partnership.

Reporting with Strategic Analysis

Moreover, it’s not just about running the numbers – it’s about taking a data-led approach to everything we do. At its core, eXPD8 beauty has a sophisticated technology layer, meaning from brief to reporting, we have visibility and our clients do too. And while transparency is important, it’s also crucial to be able to read that data and create to actionable insights. With so many companies, it’s fire and forget. With eXPD8 beauty, it’s all about taking what we know and telling a story with the information we have; what worked, what didn’t and how we can set performance benchmarks each time, that we strive to better.

The eXPD8 beauty Difference

At eXPD8 beauty, we know our service needs to be as bespoke as our clients’ needs. That combined with our deep experience, advanced digital systems and the human touch means we’re leading the industry. If you’re looking for beauty and cosmetics specialised retail support services that are a cut above the rest, offering a more consultative approach to other agencies, please reach out to our beauty team on hello@expd8.co.uk or use our contact page to learn more. We look forward to exceeding your expectations, by delivering flawless execution, first time… every time.