Retail: With the launch of the “In My Own Skin” campaign and its focus on skin longevity and diversity, can you elaborate on how this rebellion against typical beauty standards reflects the brand’s core ethos? Pippa Hallas: We celebrated 70 years on Australian shores last year, and it’s an evolution of Australians and how Australian skin conditions become more diverse. The demographics change and the idea of [what is] typical beauty changes. We’ve got over 100 franchisees across Australia. It feels really natural and right because it’s just an evolution of what Ella Baché’s philosophy was. Understanding the skin on a cellular level, which is all about longevity and health, as opposed to beauty, has always been in our DNA. The nice thing about this [campaign] is it’s authentic and real, because it’s who we are. We don’t do makeup, we just do skin and we understand the science of skin. So, this is really an evolution, not a revolution, and it’s something that has been pioneered over the decades. I think it is particularly poignant at the moment because there’s so much pressure, particularly on the younger generation with social media and AI. We’re really passionate about how skin is very unique to who you are as a person. You need to understand your own skin and embrace your own skin stories. Your skin tells your story, so understand what you need to protect it.IR: Ella Baché recently expanded its manufacturing and distribution centre. What are the key advantages of having a local manufacturing facility, both in terms of product quality and business productivity?PH: The Australian sun has a significant impact on the condition of your skin, so being able to formulate products locally and control where we source our ingredients is key. We prioritise sourcing as much as possible from Australian suppliers.The transparency throughout that supply chain is critical. I’ve spent more time in procurement and supply chain in the last 18 months than I have in my whole career. Everything that’s gone on geopolitically is impacting Australian companies’ ability to get the right products at the right price at the right time.That’s been a big focus, and the reason we invested so heavily in that lab as well as manufacturing, production, and distribution is to be more agile.  IR: How has Ella Baché’s local manufacturing facility contributed to meeting the growing demand for convenience, particularly with customers shopping online and seeking faster delivery times? PH: Most of our clients start the journey with Ella Baché online, whether they’re booking a treatment in franchise stores, salons or buying a product. And we’re able to deliver to most places in Australia really quickly. Our customers love our product quality, our [skin] therapists and the treatments, but they also love the convenience of being able to get our products.IR: You’ve mentioned a lot about the younger generation being more conscious of the ingredients in their skincare. How do you balance sourcing locally while ensuring the efficacy and quality of your products? PH: I think the efficacy and the quality of the products is key. We have a fantastic team here in Australia, and we would never compromise the quality. It’s never a question of compromising the quality of ingredients just because we’re sourcing from Australia. It’s just about putting the right processes in place, making sure we do it efficiently, and ensuring we have a number of different suppliers in case something happens, like a shortage.IR: Regarding the retail climate, especially with the cost-of-living crisis and shifts in the economy, how have you maintained customer loyalty during tough times? I know you mentioned the online store, but are there other strategies you’ve employed to keep engagement high?PH: If we look at our customer base, one of the things that surprises people is that half of our customers are under 40, and half are over. For a results-driven product, it’s not a massive outlay. People know the brand, they trust the brand. We find that when the economy gets tougher, people don’t want to experiment because they don’t want to take the risk. They want to see their therapist, who they know and trust. They want to buy products that they know and trust. So, that loyalty and the reputation of the brand really help us stay strong in these tougher times. IR: Your brand has clearly established a reputation for trust and making long-lasting, quality products rather than chasing fast trends. With new innovation, it seems you’re focusing on continued growth. Can you share more details about your latest product innovations?PH: We’re launching a really exciting peel system next month, for example. It’s taken us two years to develop that system and solution. We know it works. We know people will come in and get recommended those products by the therapist they trust. It’s not about launching and deleting products all the time. It’s innovating around the needs of the skin, as opposed to just following trends and launching products that promise miracles. All of our products have to work, otherwise, we just won’t launch them.IR: What’s next for Ella Baché? What are your top areas of focus for the year ahead?PH: No surprises, AI. For me, as a CEO, the thing that’s really top of mind is making sure the leadership team understands AI and how we’re going to use it in the business. We’re educating ourselves right now and using it at a lower level to make our work more efficient. But I know it’ll become more transformative over the next few months.