Ten years ago beauty brands that exclusively sold their products online sparked conversations about whether DTC e-commerce might signal the end of traditional retail. Today we know that brands that are stocked by national retailers as well as brand.com yield the most revenue. Clearly, while D2C is important, it’s only part of the sales equation. Partnering with the right retailer can take revenue from growing (or flat!) to soaring, but creating that relationship is anything but simple.

That’s why dozens of savvy brands have turned to SNS Partnerships, a boutique agency whose mission is to take beauty and personal care brands to the next level. Drawing on more than 15 years of senior executive experience, founder and CEO Suhair Nimri specializes in helping brands launch at top retailers, scale their business, and adapt to the ever-changing retail landscape.

An alum of The Estée Lauder Cos., Shiseido, and Perricone MD — where, as Chief Sales Officer, she shepherded the brand into Costco — Nimri has gained a word-of-mouth reputation as the “retail whisperer” who connects brands with the right opportunities. “I started my own business because I felt there was a need in the market to help brands launch, grow, and strategize,” Nimri says. “A lot of brands don’t really know where to go. Whether you’re starting out or you’re an established brand, you really had to invest in payroll dollars to get the right experience. You might find somebody who has the Ulta experience, but not the Sephora experience, or not Costco.”

SNS Partnerships leverages its relationships with a variety of retailers, from mass to luxury, to find the best fit for a brand. In a way, the process is a lot like matchmaking — but the efficiency of SNS Partnerships’ existing relationships makes it more like speed dating. “If I have multiple brands at Costco, I sometimes knock out three or four brands with my buyer in 30 minutes,” Nimri says. “Otherwise, that would be two hours out of her day.”

Since starting SNS Partnerships in 2021 with one client, the Bay Area-based agency has worked with more than 20 beauty brands. The agency’s record of success means that it is open-minded, but selective, about its brand partners. “We work on short- and long-term projects with a variety of brands,” Nimri says. One brand may require a long-term launch and retail strategy; another might require a launch strategy and first-year plan. In addition, says Marina Kurian, VP Marketing & Client Relations, the agency can offer insights on everything from social media to packaging. “There have been brands that have wanted us to expand the scope of work that we offer,” she says. “They’re looking for more advice on the brand overall, beyond the retailer/brand relationship.”

One case study, involving a clean hair care brand that was looking to expand its retail reach, demonstrates the multi-pronged strategy that SNS Partnerships specializes in. Initially, the brand had been salon-exclusive, but the logistics of maintaining salon relationships proved too difficult. After exiting salons, the brand had developed a solid online business at Amazon and via direct-to-consumer sales, but the founder wasn’t sure how to scale the business further. He turned to SNS Partnerships for direction. “We were really trying to match him with the right retailers,” Nimri says. “I walked him through the Sephora model, but he realized he wasn’t ready for that level of investment.”

Knowing that the brand’s products would speak to an affluent, Millennial audience, Nimri facilitated a smooth launch at Anthropologie. Meanwhile, Kurian helped open doors at Erewhon, the ultra-trendy, upscale supermarket chain in Los Angeles County; within six months of launching there, the brand had become the chain’s number-five hair care brand. And the cherry on top? SNS Partnerships also helped bring the brand to Macys.com, Costco.com, and wholesale distributor Salon Centric — giving it the chance to shine in front of consumers and putting it in the hands of salon professionals again. “Not only did we help the brand launch at multiple retailers, but it really is helping brand awareness, too,” Nimri says.

Other times, brands call upon SNS Partnerships to rescue sluggish sales within an existing retail partnership. Nimri recalls a prestige skin care brand that needed support with its Ulta business. “They spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the launch, and it did great in the first month,” she says. But sales were down at an inopportune time: the brand was simultaneously preparing to launch at Sephora Canada. Enacting a strategy tailored to each retailer was crucial. “I built out a whole year-long plan in advance — everything from in-store activities and sampling to eventing and special promotions,” Nimri says. Creating a unified strategy across both beauty retailers, along with implementing specific and unique tactics for each one, led to a turnaround in Ulta sales and success at Sephora Canada, as well.

No matter where a brand may fit best at retail, the goal at SNS Partnerships is to steer clients toward success in a competitive retail landscape. “I can help you launch, but I can also help you understand how to grow that business and how to stay in that retailer,” Nimri says. She points to the increasingly crowded retail landscape and acknowledges the fierce competition. “So many retailers are walking away from brands if they’re not productive. I’m constantly looking ahead: How do I grow this business? How do I sustain this relationship between the brand and the retailer? My job is to deliver on what the brand is expecting of me.”