The beauty industry’s DEI promises are fading amid retailer pull back. The beauty industry’s past diversity pledges are disappearing fast, and Black-owned brands are feeling the fallout. Major companies like Target and Walmart have already rolled back corporate DEI initiatives, and once-promising beauty grants and accelerator programs are shrinking thanks to legal challenges. Some brands, like Glossier and Ulta, are still pushing forward, but many Black founders are now pivoting—turning to community spaces like salons instead of relying on traditional retailers. But consumers won’t be letting brands off the hook if they pull back too far—according to YPulse, 70% of young people of color are more likely to support brands that use models who look like them. The message is clear: brands that ditch DEI efforts risk losing an influential audience. (Refinery29)
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