State Of Change: Responding to a rapidly changing consumer landscape in real-time, the global beauty industry is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades

THE GLOBAL BEAUTY industry is undergoing a seismic realignment, enabling it to navigate a whirlwind of newly awakened consumer tastes and come to grips with the realities of the new digital age. As Estée Lauder's chief executive officer and president, Fabrizio Freda, puts it, the word for the last 18 months has been "volatility" a period that has seen a preponderance of major players shift their market positions through a binge of brand acquisitions.