Fairchild Studio: What are you excited about for your new role at Amazon in health and beauty? What’s the trajectory for 2026?
Wendy Franks: Health and beauty is such a dynamic category and one where we’re seeing incredible innovation and momentum at Amazon. We’ve gone from being a destination for replenishing everyday products to a more elevated experience, where customers can discover prestige brands, indie products and complete their entire health and beauty regimen in one stop.
What inspires me the most is the sheer scale of impact — we’re not just selling products, we’re helping millions of customers discover what makes them feel confident. I’m excited to work alongside my talented team to continue shaping that evolution, bringing together a broad selection of premium and everyday products and making the shopping experience more personalized, intuitive and inspiring.
Beauty is one of the fastest-growing categories at Amazon — and with that comes an outsized opportunity to innovate. We’re leaning into artificial intelligence and personalization to make discovery more seamless and relevant, while continuing to expand our wide assortment of brands, especially in the fragrance category, where we have some exciting developments coming this year. I’m also excited to create more shopping experiences that better reflect how customers actually shop today — whether through social media discovery or searching for targeted solutions to everyday needs.
Fairchild Studio: What does customers’ interest in personalization in beauty mean for Amazon? How is AI shaping this?
W.F.: Personalization is becoming central to how customers engage with beauty and it’s an area where Amazon is uniquely positioned to lead due to our selection and access to technology.
We’re investing in AI-powered tools and content that help customers cut through the noise and navigate a vast assortment in a way that feels tailored to their individual needs. On a deeper level, our elevated storefronts allow brands to express their identity through rich, visual storytelling that is true to their brand voice.
AI is fundamentally reshaping how customers discover and shop for beauty by simplifying decision-making. Our AI shopping assistant, Rufus, helps customers get more informed recommendations based on their specific preferences through prompts like “what’s the best serum for dry skin?” or “suggest a highly rated anti aging collagen supplement for me to try.” We’re also investing in tools that bring the in-store experience online, like virtual try-on innovations such as “Find My Shade” that we introduced in collaboration with Charlotte Tilbury.
Fairchild Studio: How is Amazon approaching being a product discovery destination?
W.F.: We’re intentional about keeping discovery at the heart of the shopping experience, especially in a fast-moving category like beauty. We combine technology, content and cultural moments to support discovery, from Shopping Guides and personalized recommendations to Amazon livestreams with experts and creators.
Our tentpole moments, like Prime Day and our category shopping events, including the Summer Beauty Event, which is running now through Mother’s Day on May 10, also play a key role in introducing customers to new brands and products in a highly engaging way. They are valuable to both brands looking to expand their reach and customers who are coming to Amazon not only to replenish, but also to find their next favorite product.
Fairchild Studio: How do the worlds of health, beauty and wellness converge? How does Amazon approach these categories for consumer browsing?
W.F.: We’re seeing a clear shift where customers no longer view beauty, health and wellness as separate categories. Customers are shopping based on specific needs or conditions, whether that’s skin concerns, hair health or overall well-being and they’re looking for more holistic solutions.
We’re supporting that behavior by creating a more integrated shopping experience that helps customers discover products across categories in one place. One great example of this is our Skincare+ storefront, where customers can shop dermatologist-recommended products for conditions including acne, anti aging and eczema. This space is ripe with opportunity and we’re just scratching the surface of what we can do to better serve customers who are looking to shop this way.
We’re shifting from category silos to intent-based shopping. That means organizing around customer needs through smarter navigation—like “solutions for dry, sensitive skin”, which could span anything from skin care to supplements—alongside cross-category recommendations where, for example, buying retinol triggers suggestions for complementary cleansers and vitamins.
We’re also investing in educational content that connects the dots between beauty, health and wellness. Our ultimate goal is to make finding comprehensive, personalized solutions effortless.
Fairchild Studio: What are the biggest challenges and opportunities brands are facing right now?
W.F.: There is enormous pressure for brands to show up authentically wherever their customers are shopping and the landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented across mobile, desktop, social, streaming services and more. For many brands, especially emerging ones, navigating this complexity while maintaining their unique identity can be overwhelming. With our reach across Amazon stores and access to entertainment levers like Prime Video, Alexa and music streaming, we’re able to collaborate with brands to develop shopping experiences that highlight their strengths and address their needs.
Fairchild Studio: How is Amazon redefining beauty shopping for brands and customers?
W.F.: We’re at an exciting moment for beauty, where technology and cultural moments are
reshaping how people shop. One of Amazon’s strengths is the ability to connect discovery,
content and shopping seamlessly.
We’re encouraging brands to think beyond the transaction and leverage our full media
ecosystem for broader brand building — Amazon Ads, for instance, allows brands to reach
customers at awareness and consideration stages, not just at purchase. We’re also rethinking
how beauty connects to fashion, wellness and entertainment, creating natural intersections
where customers are already engaged. The opportunity isn’t just to sell products, but to embed
brands into customers’ lifestyles and the cultural moments that matter to them.
