41% of beauty sales now occur online. Yet, the industry’s biggest challenge still remains
closing the gap between digital discovery and a physical purchase. While consumers may find a brand
through a targeted ad or an influencer’s review, this is entirely visual and creates a sensory risk
of an unverified purchase. Without the ability to smell a fragrance or feel the texture of a
product, a digital interaction often stalls before it reaches a cart.
72% of consumers still cite the lack of physical trial as their primary reason for cart
abandonment. Product sampling is the most direct way for beauty brands to challenge this; it moves
a high-intent lead from a screen to a tangible product experience.
This product experience extends to logistics too. If a sample doesn’t arrive quickly – while the
interest is still fresh – that discovery moment is lost.
At SoPost, we understand that the logistics behind the sample are just as important to the brand
experience as the product itself. Over a decade ago, we created online sampling and began
partnering with some of the biggest beauty and CPG brands in the world – now accounting for over
350 brands – including Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, LVMH and Coty. We help these brands manage the
transition from digital discovery to physical trial across 30+ markets, executing this at a
high-performance scale. We pack one sample every two seconds to ensure that the momentum of digital
discovery is never lost to slow delivery.
Fulfilment is a critical brand touchpoint, often overlooked
When a consumer requests a sample, they’ve transitioned from passive observer to a
high-intent lead – but this intent has a shelf life. As Hannah Berry, SoPost’s Operations and
Fulfilment Lead notes:
“The logistics component of a product trial delivery is often overlooked as a critical brand
touchpoint. A slow or failed delivery is a missed opportunity. Whereas a fast, smooth process turns
a moment of interest into genuine, long-term engagement.”
76% of consumers decide whether to buy from a brand again based on their delivery experience. For
younger demographics driving beauty growth, the threshold is even lower: 47% of Gen Z consumers
have abandoned a brand entirely due to a single poor delivery.
If a sample is delayed, lost or arrives in poor condition, the marketing spend used to acquire that
lead is wasted.
SoPost has spent years developing a localized logistics network to avoid fulfilment friction, such
as custom delays and unpredictable shipping windows. This network spans the UK, Europe, North
America, the Middle East and APAC. By keeping samples within national
borders, they travel shorter distances and pass through fewer checkpoints – and we can
measure the results of our fulfilment strategy too. After switching to local partners in Italy and
Spain, we achieved next-day dispatch capabilities and a 5% increase in delivery reliability.
The average SoPost fulfilment partner has 28 years of experience in the logistics industry,
providing us with the specific knowledge required to navigate domestic postage regulations and
packaging standards, that vary significantly by market. Our partners are embedded in their national
systems, making them the first to hear of changes to postal laws, packaging requirements or
potential disruptions. This built-in expertise prevents the operational hurdles that typically
stall global campaigns. Indeed, even small-format samples are subject to shifting regulations,
having local expertise ensures that all of our samples comply with local standards and arrive
without friction.
Whether a brand is running a targeted launch or a massive global campaign, our partners pack
samples at high speed – one every two seconds. We treat every sample order with the care of a
retail shipment to ensure we’re delivering a premium unboxing experience. Should this require
branded cartons or deluxe mailers, SoPost manages the entire logistical flow, ensuring the physical
touchpoint is handled with precision. This allows brand teams to focus on their wider marketing
strategy.
Sustainable logistics as a brand requirement
Sustainability is no longer a simple corporate reporting metric. It’s a primary driver of consumer
choice – particularly in the beauty sector. 64% of beauty consumers now actively seek out brands
that can demonstrate a reduced carbon footprint across their entire supply chain.
In the discovery-to-trial phase, the delivery method a brand chooses is a visible declaration of
its ESG values. The distance a sample travels from warehouse to doorstep is under increasing
consumer scrutiny, and cross-border shipping – with its reliance on air freight and multi-stage
processing – is the highest-emission route a trial can take.
By localizing our entire logistical flow, SoPost minimizes the distance each sample travels and
avoids the carbon-heavy processing of international hubs. In 2025 alone, we appointed three new
local fulfilment partners to further shorten these delivery paths and reduce the per-sample carbon
footprint.
This commitment is validated by our EcoVadis Gold Status, which places SoPost in the top 5% of
companies worldwide for sustainable fulfilment – an achievement we’re incredibly proud of.
One in three consumers have stopped buying from certain brands due to sustainability concerns. Our
packaging is fully recyclable and meets global environmental standards,
ensuring that all sampling campaigns are reinforcing our brand partners’ ESG credentials.
While our localized fulfilment becomes a necessity for maintaining brand trust during the initial
physical interaction with a customer.
Scaling global market share through localized precision
Localized fulfilment allows beauty brands to reallocate marketing budgets away from custom fees and
air-freight surcharges and into reaching a much broader, highly engaged audience.
SoPost provides beauty brands with the opportunity to scale rapidly into new markets while
maintaining the high delivery standards consumers demand, by acting as an operational partner to
the brands we work with.
A SoPost partnership ensures that every marketing Euro spent on acquisition is protected by a
delivery experience that matches a brand’s premium positioning. Our model works too, with 75% of
consumers who receive a sample through SoPost expressing an intent to purchase a full-size product.
By ensuring a sample arrives while interest is at its peak, we help brands convert digital
discovery into long-term customer relationships. By bridging the gap between digital discovery and
physical trial – through our sustainable, local networks – we ensure that every trial is a step
towards a brand’s next loyal customer.
Join us at the Beauty Leaders Summit
If you’re attending the Beauty Leaders Summit in Paris this April, the SoPost team will be on the
ground to discuss how we help over 350 brands increase market share, acquire loyal customers,
reduce fulfilment friction and meet their ESG goals.
Meet the team:
Jonny Grubin, Founder & CEO
Hélène Tournesac, Head of Partnerships & Director of Southern Europe
Alexandra Maiello, Senior Enterprise Account Executive
Isobel Harkin, Senior Demand Generation Manager
