British Beauty Council outlines 2020 plans after ‘rewarding’ inaugural year
Founded in 2018, the British Beauty Council released its first full-year annual report on 2019 activity as the trade association representing UK beauty – a category that generated €31.7bn (£27.2bn) in 2018 from products and services. The trade association’s first full year included its inaugural London Beauty Week, held alongside Fashion Week in September, and work with the Department for International Trade on a campaign spotlighting Britain’s transatlantic partnerships, among other things.
UK beauty defined by ‘passion, energy and excellence’
Jane Boardman, chairman of the British Beauty Council, said 2019 had been “a rewarding year” for the young association.
“One thing that has come out loud and clear, from all the work we have carried out this year, is the passion, energy and excellence that defines this extraordinary industry, and the crucial role that all of our patrons and advisory board play in this,” Boardman said.
Millie Kendall MBE, CEO of the British Beauty Council, agreed: “Creating an industry body that would represent everyone working in our industry, at every stage of their career, and across every sector of beauty, was always going to be a lot of work. But thanks to our dedicated executive board, our esteemed advisory board and our patrons, we have managed to achieve a lot in our first year.”
The value of UK beauty ‘important and impressive’
Kendall said one important aspect of the association’s work so far had been its ‘Value of Beauty’ report, compiled in partnership with Oxford Economics.
The report provided “the most comprehensive economic valuation of the beauty industry to date”, she said, and demonstrated how “important and impressive” industry’s contribution to the UK’s economy was. Beauty and grooming products and services, for example, equated to 1.3% of the UK’s total GDP in 2018.
The British Beauty Council said the report was a “crucial undertaking” for several reasons, notably to push forward with getting beauty recognised as a ‘creative industry’ and a viable economic contributor in the UK.
“The Value of Beauty report demonstrates that beauty is a powerful and influential industry and provides a benchmark to measure industry growth in years to come,” the British Beauty Council said.
British Beauty Council 2020 goal to branch out further
Kendall said the British Beauty Council would continue to push forward in 2020 under its three pillars: reputation, education and innovation.
“We will be branching out to key regional hubs with extensive patron and brand involvement and providing engagement for all those in the industry. Watch this space!” the CEO wrote in the annual report.
Kendall previously told CosmeticsDesign-Europe that in the next three to five years, the British Beauty Council wanted to achieve what the British Fashion Council had done in ten. “What the Fashion Council have done for fashion is remarkable. It makes British fashion a viable export, much like British music.”
