Bubble, Skin Care for the Gen Z Set, Goes Into Walmart

23.07.2021 Beauty & Balance

Bubble, the d-to-c skin care brand geared toward Gen Z, has announced its first retail partner.

Entering over 3,800 Walmart doors on Thursday, July 15, the products range in price from $12 to $19.

The brand decided to go into retail the same way it developed its products — by consulting its robust community of Gen Z consumers. “We’ve worked with over 6,000 teens to create Bubble,” said Shai Eisenman, founder and chief executive officer of Bubble. “All the messaging, every packaging, every product that comes to market, we’ve tested extensively. The more we talked to teens, we realized that 41 percent of them go to Walmart at least a couple times per month.”

Aside from the geographic ease of reaching Walmart’s teen consumers, it also eliminates other barriers for potential consumers who may be challenged by lack of access to credit cards. “The younger consumer doesn’t have the disposable income of Millennials,” Eisenman said. According to its surveys, 82 percent of teenagers prefer to purchase products in-store, and 71 percent tend to purchase with cash.

The brand hits on other touch points proven to be resonant with Gen Z, such as being driven by inclusivity. In addition to keeping prices below $20, the line is gender-inclusive. Its ethos seems to be resonating: following its expansion into Walmart, industry sources think the brand could hit $20 million in sales for 2022.

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Stocking Bubble is part of Walmart’s greater efforts to attract younger cohorts of consumers. The retail giant has centered around purpose-driven and indie brands in its appeal to Gen Z. Last month, the retailer launched Uoma By Sharon C., a mass-market sister brand to Uoma Beauty, founded by Pull Up for Change’s Sharon Chuter.

“Bubble stands out, that it’s a product we believe will be efficacious in solving the unique needs our customers have expressed,” said Musab Balbale, vice president of beauty at Walmart Inc. “What [Eisenman] is doing with the brand personality is very fresh and transparent, and the products are formulated very consciously. It will drive not just excitement, but drive a new way for the entire industry to talk about acne care and complexion care.”

The brand aims to normalize the skin concerns of younger generations, which have historically not been singularly catered to. “We really want to set a standard for skin care,” Eisenman said. “This is specifically skin care for young skin. There’s always been a category for anti-aging, but teens aren’t looking for anti-aging features, they need products that will clear and balance their skin.”