John Demsey Connects the Digital Dots

Retail isn’t dead — at least not if beauty has anything to do with it. Speaking at a Fashion Group International breakfast Thursday morning at Manhattan’s 21 Club, Esteé Lauder Cos. Inc. executive group president John Demsey addressed the economic slowdown hurting the malls and brick-and-mortar department stores where many Lauder brands are sold. “It’s been particularly bad for the apparel business,” said Demsey, in a conversation moderated by his close friend, Ballantine Bantam Dell editor-at-large Alina Cho. “One of the major retailers made a point that [apparel] in its more selective, [high-end] distribution is 50 percent of the size that it was 10 years ago. And the beauty business is much bigger.” The byproducts of the digital era — influencers, social media, e-commerce platforms — that the industry  blames on the downfall of brick and mortar are actually good for business, according to Demsey. “All of this promiscuity of content and experiences and showing off [with selfies and how-to videos] and talking about everyone is an accelerator in the beauty business.” Beauty will always have a place in brick-and-mortar retail because it offers and experience, he argued — and experiences are what consumers want out of brick and mortar right now. “They’re going in-store when they

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