In today’s fast-paced beauty business, keeping product development ideas locked away from key retailers may not help your brand in the long run.

According to Gina Lazaro, vice president, global skin care at Albert-Culver, it has become critical to engage top retailers much earlier in the process than ever before.

“The balance of power between mass-class of trade has shifted over the last 10 years, if not longer. Retailers have a lot more power, and don’t take everything that is presented to them,” Ms. Lazaro told the audience at the “Creating a Successful Beauty Brand” presentation at HBA.

Alberto-Culver, which markets Tresemme hair care and St. Ives skin care brands in the mass market, will meet select groups of retailers providing them with insight into ideas, products and concepts that will hit shelves two years from now.

“We are sharing with them in a more open way than just 5 or 7 years ago—early concepts and prototyping and trending—and engaging them earlier in the process. We need them. It is critical for us to develop those relationships and keep them going,” she said.