International Women’s Day on March 8th is a celebration of women in all aspects of life. Women’s contributions to the world of eCommerce can never be understated. Within your eCommerce business, there are lots of ways to honor and celebrate International Women’s Day. The theme of 2024’s International Women’s Day is ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’. There couldn’t be a more fitting topic for the women of the eCommerce world.
In order to show our appreciation, here are some women in eCommerce who have inspiring stories.
Hudda Kattan: Huda Beauty
Huda Beauty is a billion dollar cosmetics brand founded by Huda Kattan. In 2010 she began a beauty blog called ‘Huda Beauty’ after working as a makeup artist in Dubai. Through her deep ability to connect with others, the website quickly became one of the most popular beauty blogs worldwide.
In 2013 Huda launched ‘Huda Beauty’ which originally sold false eyelashes. From there it began to expand to sell a wide range of beauty and makeup products. Today Huda Beauty is stocked in over 1,500 stores worldwide, being sported by celebrities and beauty experts.
Huda has shown what the power of knowledge, passion and connection can do.
Takeaways:
- Build a strong brand: Huda’s brand is what makes her thrive. Through her personalized, intimate knowledge shared on her blogs he connected to her customers. She has continued to build this brand on social media, where she is constantly active, engaging and sharing tips with her community.
- Innovation is key: Huda’s products are innovative and creative. They bring something new to the market, inspired through Huda’s expert knowledge.
- Social strategy works: Instagram, YouTube and TikTok all contribute to Huda’s success. Collaborations with celebrities and influencers help spread the word, and a global audience is reached.
- Celebrating diversity: Huda’s makeup caters to all skin types and colors. This helps align with the values of Gen Z and millennials. It also broadens the reach of potential customers.
Maggie Wu: Alibaba
Maggie Wei Wu is the chief financial officer of Alibaba Group. This is one of the world’s largest eCommerce companies, worth over $300 billion. Maggie Wu became the chief financial officer in 2007, and has played a key role in the company’s growth and success.
She is known for her financial expertise, strategic thinking and is a huge role model for women in business.
Julie L Wainwright: RealReal
Julie L Wainwright is the CEO of RealReal, an online marketplace for authenticated pre owned luxury goods. Having a previous background in eCommerce, Julie Wainwright launched RealReal in 2011 after being inspired by a shopping trip with a friend.
She saw a gap in the market, and through innovation and entrepreneurship she created a business to save people money whilst offering high quality products. Her business has since revolutionized the luxury products industry. The business is now valued at over $1 billion.
The business now uses AI such as dynamic pricing to have relevant and competitive pricing options. Starting as an eCommerce company, the brand now has physical locations. Then authenticity assurance and the authentication process is what makes this business stand out. Care is taken to let customers know their purchases are valued. This creates brand loyalty and lifetime customers.
Sara Blakely: Spanx
Sarah Blakely is the founder and CEO of Spanx, a shapewear company that she created in 2000. The innovation came from her desire for a material that fit well underneath dresses. Through her vision, she started a global brand that now sells to over 50 countries.
She invented a new material, with exclusive design through her expert knowledge in the area. She had a long term vision that benefited women, and from there she was able to expand and grow the range. The material was versatile and can now be used for underwear, leggings, activewear and more.
Blakely is a self-made billionaire, who used courage and dedication to bring her vision to life.
Maria Shriver: MOSH
Maria Shriver created MOSH in 2021. MOSH is a brand that caters to brain health, solving problems and raising awareness about Alzheimers. It links brain health products and doctors, and supports research into brain diseases.
The brain health industry is growing, and is expected to be worth around $16 billion by 2030. MOSH offers protein bars, supplements, snacks and beverages as well as information about Alzheimers.
MOSH has a strong mission at its core. Many people can relate or empathize with the effects of Alzheimers in life, and will therefore be helped by this cause. As well as being a successful business taking form, it’s got heart behind it.
Celebrate Women
These entrepreneurs have all proven how investing in women does accelerate progress. The creativity, vision and dedication of these women is clear. The results speak for themselves. This International Women’s Day we wish to see more women like these emerging in the eCommerce scene, and more success to all of them.