Andrea Felsted, Columnist

Billionaire Kylie Jenner Is the Future of Shopping

The cosmetics tycoon’s star will fade eventually, but it’s hard for the consumer giants to match a brand that reaches more than 100 million people.

March 9, 2019 at 7:00 AM UTC

By Andrea Felsted

Andrea Felsted is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering consumer goods and the retail industry. Previously, she was a reporter for the Financial Times.

Kylie Jenner’s debut on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index at the ripe old age of 21 should strike fear into the hearts of big consumer brands everywhere.
Photographer: VALERIE MACON/AFP

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Kylie Jenner’s debut on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index at the ripe old age of 21 should strike fear into the hearts of mainstream consumer companies everywhere.

The young member of the Kardashian-Jenner clan (a brood made famous by reality TV) has joined the tycoon club after signing an exclusive partnership for her cosmetics company with Ulta Beauty Inc., a chain of U.S. beauty stores. The deal embodies the trends – ultra-celebrity branding, Instagram and smartphone shopping – that are reshaping the retail landscape in everything from liquid foundation to food.