CASE STUDIES
We don’t theorize. We build, fix and grow beauty businesses - with results that speak
Case Study 1 — Global Brand Across Skincare, Makeup & Fragrance
Brand Repositioning & Organisational Alignment
"We tried to push three categories separately for years and kept canceling out our gains. CARRARA Advisory aligned our portfolio strategy, set a clear path forward, and helped us finally unlock cohesive growth. Today the brand operates as one business, and the results speak for themselves."
— Group President, Global Beauty Brand
Client Type: Global heritage brand
Scale: ~€600M
Challenge: Years of inconsistent performance — one category growing while the other two declined. Siloed strategy and competing P&Ls were destroying momentum.
Outcome: Returned all 3 categories to profitable growth after years of see-saw performance.
What We Did:
Unified strategic architecture across all 3 categories
Harmonised pricing, equity, and channel strategy
Re-aligned internal roles and incentives
Installed cross-category innovation roadmap
Results:
First 12 months - coordinated growth across all 3 categories vs cannibalisation in previous years.
Strengthened retailer demand and equity
Sustainable and profitable, not cannibalistic
Case Study 2 — Gen-Z Brand Acceleration
Growth Strategy & Distribution Expansion
"We were stuck — strong brand equity but flat performance. CARRARA Advisory gave us a compelling brand platform, a strategic umbrella concept, and a disciplined roadmap. Two years later, we’re growing +50% and expanding in channels we couldn’t access before."
— Founder & CEO, Gen Z Beauty Brand
Client Type: Digital-first Gen-Z brand
Markets: US + EU
Challenge: Flat growth. Fragmented positioning. Poor scalability. No coherent long-term brand story.
Outcome: +50% growth in 24 months through positioning + selective distribution.
What We Did:
Expanded distribution (quality before quantity)
Built a unified brand narrative under a single umbrella
Installed quarterly execution model
Optimised pricing and merchandising
Results:
+50% revenue growth in 2 years, driven by scalable brand architecture.
Stronger, more productive retail footprint
Repeatable growth engine, not randomness
Case Study 3 — Fragrance Brand Under License
Innovation & Prestige Retail Strategy
"We needed sustainable growth, not another round of tactical launches. CARRARA Advisory helped us prioritize fewer, bigger innovations and expand distribution into premium retail doors. We hit our growth targets and elevated the brand in ways we thought impossible."
— General Manager, Licensed Fragrance Division
Challenge: Under-performing relative to licensor expectations. Distribution lacked “anchor” doors. Innovation too frequent and too small to matter.
Outcome: Grew from €20M to €35M with strategic expansions and fewer, bigger launches.
What We Did:
Expanded into strategic prestige doors (e.g., Selfridges — even before fashion was there)
Shifted to “fewer, bigger, more strategic” launches
Strengthened brand equity and storytelling
Results:
+75% revenue uplift from €20M to €35M in 24 months.
Breakthrough flagship retail presence
Higher productivity per SKU
Case Study 4 — Strategic License Sale to Unlock Cash and Save the Company
Strategic Portfolio Management & Licensing
"We were facing a cliff financially and needed a reset. CARRARA Advisory cut through complexity fast, identified unnecessary spending, and advised us to divest one license to save the rest. The move was bold, but it saved our business — we’re thriving today."
— CEO, Fragrance Licensing Company
Client Type: Fragrance licensor portfolio
Challenge: Cash-constrained, with one non-core license draining resources and blocking survival.
Outcome: Stabilised business and returned to profitability through strategic divestment.
What We Did:
Prioritised portfolio through strategic contribution analysis
Optimised spending to protect future capabilities
Prepared business to divest non-core license
Led decision-making and sale process
Results:
License sale unlocked cash equivalent to 9 months of runway
Portfolio regained focus and profitability
Business not only saved — now thriving
Case Study 5 — Scaling Hypergrowth in Manufacturing
Manufacturing Strategy & Value Creation
"We were growing at an incredible pace, but everyone knew it wasn’t sustainable. CARRARA Advisory helped us define where to play and how to win, giving us clarity and focus. We’re now winning new clients and attracting serious investor interest."
— Managing Director, Beauty Manufacturing Company
Client Type: Beauty contract manufacturer
Challenge: Almost doubling YoY, but with directionless growth. Risk of plateau and investor uncertainty.
Outcome: Secured new clients and investor interest through clear strategic focus
What We Did:
Defined “where to play / how to win” strategy
Identified high-value niches and client types
Rebuilt value proposition and prioritisation model
Aligned innovation, investments and business development
Results (ongoing):
Strategy now attracting +3 new marquee clients per year (and counting).
Positive traction from investors
Growth is now strategic, not chaotic
Case Study 6 — COGS Optimization Through Planning Discipline
Cost of Goods Sold Reduction & Operational Efficiency
"We thought we were negotiating the best components. What really killed our margin was over-frequent production and poor planning. CARRARA Advisory helped us rethink cadence and amortization — and made our unit economics viable.” — Founder / CEO, Accessible Beauty Brand
Client Type: Small-to-mid size beauty brand (accessible price tier)
Challenge: Persistently high COGS, shrinking gross margin, cash-flow strain and fear of excess inventory
What We Did
Analysed the brand’s production history, batch sizes, run frequency, and amortization inefficiencies.
Built a SKU-level forecasting model reflecting true velocity, seasonality, turnover and reorder patterns.
Defined an optimal production cadence: 2–3 runs per SKU per year (versus frequent small-batch runs).
Designed a “Plan B” inventory-management framework to handle demand slumps without emergency reorders or air-freight.
Educated leadership on the difference between cash-flow risk and COGS risk, reframing inventory not as a liability but as a strategic variable.
Results
Structural COGS reduction of ~20-30% per unit (with identical components and packaging) — purely by operational and planning leverage.
For the leading SKU, a perfume, the COGS moved from an yearly average of 7.12 eur/100ml to 5.33 eur/100ml or a cost saving of 25% without having changed anything from a product perspective.
Elimination of emergency overnight freight or penalty costs previously incurred by reactive small runs.
Improved gross margin significantly enough to sustain the business at accessible retail price points.
Inventory levels stabilized — avoiding overstock risk without sacrificing responsiveness.
