As a scientist, I’ve been trained to examine patterns. As a founder, I’ve learned to recognize when a system is under pressure —and when it may still heal, if supported in the right ways.
Over the past few weeks, many of us in the beauty and wellness space have been watching headlines around Saks Global with both concern and hope. Saks is not just a retailer. It is a cornerstone of American luxury. For brands like AveSeena that believe in quality, longevity, and meaningful connection with customers, Saks has always symbolized excellence, vision, and prestige.
Which is why the recent financial updates are especially difficult to witness.
Understandably, everybody is asking: what does this mean—for consumers, for partners, for the smaller indie and clean brands once featured in luxury spaces, and for the future of beauty itself?
Does Money Talk?: The Facts, With Respect
Saks Global is currently navigating a challenging period of financial recalibration. One of the immediate pressures is a $121 million interest payment due in June 2025, linked to its $2.2 billion in senior secured bonds maturing in 2029. These bonds are now trading at a significant discount—around 47 cents on the dollar—with yields rising above 34%, levels often seen by market analysts as indicators of financial distress.
Further compounding the pressure is a projected liquidity shortfall of over $100 million, expected as early as August. Saks also holds a 62.4% stake in a joint venture that owns a portfolio of commercial properties, including Saks stores and former Lord & Taylor locations.
That venture is managing a $599 million commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS) maturing in August 2025. The properties securing the debt, once valued at $1.1 billion in 2019, have recently been reappraised at approximately $525 million—a 53% drop.
If refinancing must occur based on the new valuation, Saks could be responsible for covering a gap of up to $170 million, adding further strain to its liquidity position.
Unfortunately, if the company cannot get the additional financing, they could end up filing for bankruptcy.
But, enough with this what happens to brands and vendors?
SAKS Approach: Is it too little, too late for small and independent brands?
In response to these challenges, Saks has reportedly enacted a number of cost containment strategies—deferring executive bonuses, adjusting vendor payment terms, and streamlining internal programs.These insights are drawn from publicly available financial filings and industry reports as of May 2025.
And in this moment, empathy matters—for retailers under pressure, for founders making hard decisions, and for consumers trying to find meaning and trust in a changing marketplace. I believe Saks has the history, intelligence, and potential to evolve. However, I would be remiss not to express concern—for the impact this period might have on the future of wellness and beauty.
Beyond the numbers, this moment signals a deeper shift for both consumers and small brands. Saks is reportedly reducing its vendor count from over 2,000 to around 600, a dramatic contraction that has meaningful consequences.
Clean, Smart, Unique? Are We Being Pushed Out?
For you, this likely means a significant reduction in variety, discovery, and product diversity—particularly in the beauty and wellness space. Where there was once space for innovative, niche, or independent brands, the shelves will now be filled predominantly by legacy players with mass appeal, mass budgets and old formulas.
That narrowing of choice doesn’t just affect what’s available—it impacts who gets seen, who gets access, and what kind of innovation reaches the public.
Emerging brands—especially those led by founders, backed by science, and built around what you need—may find themselves edged out. And for shoppers – like you – who value uniqueness, efficacy, clean formulations, and thoughtful product design, this loss of diversity can feel personal.
What Does This Mean for You?
If the shelves still sparkle, why doesn’t your skin?
When big shifts happen in retail, they don’t come with fireworks. They unfold slowly—in what’s missing, what’s reformulated, what’s suddenly everywhere—in your everyday beauty experience. What you see on shelves, the brands you can access, and the level of innovation and intention behind those products all start to shift, too.
You don’t notice at first. But your skin does. Because when innovation fades behind the scenes, the long-term impact isn’t just fewer brands to browse—it’s fewer products that actually protect, restore, and respect your skin’s healthier balance.
And that glow you used to count on? It starts to flicker.
When something stops feeling right… do we stay for the memory of how it once was?
I’ve learned to trust the patterns—not just in skin cells, but in people, partnerships, and the way something can feel “off” before it actually unravels.
I’m not a fortune teller. But I am a scientist. And science—like instinct, like that flutter in your gut when something shifts—rarely lies.
Last year, we made the quiet, strategic decision to exit Saks Fifth Avenue. It was not reactive—it was responsive. It was the kind of goodbye that comes after too many moments of “this doesn’t feel the same anymore.”
We didn’t leave because we stopped believing in Saks. Honestly, we still believed. But I started feeling the shift—the kind you can’t explain in numbers, but feel in the small decisions.
So we chose to step back—out of respect. For our community. For the science we refuse to water down just to stay in the room.
And trust me—this wasn’t easy. None of the separations of love are. Because when something no longer feels like home, sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is pause, recalibrate, and move—with clarity and care.
And maybe we weren’t saying goodbye—maybe we were just stepping aside until the rhythm felt right again.
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WHEN BEAUTY GETS LOUDER, LOOK CLOSER—AND MAYBE RUN
I feel something’s shifting in beauty—and it’s not just the packaging.
I scroll, I swipe, and suddenly they’re everywhere: A hundred launches, all shouting “Better!” “Shinier!” “Louder!”
But I couldn’t help but wonder — both as a consumer, a woman and a founder — If they’re so revolutionary, why do they need to scream?
The truth is, the ones you can’t see are the ones who’ve been quietly doing it right all along. They can’t shout because they aren’t pouring money into billboards and buzzwords. They’re pouring it into your formula—into what actually touches your skin. Into results.
But when the shelves start to favor the loudest over the most thoughtful, something changes. Slowly. Quietly. The brands built on real science, clean innovation, and earned trust begin to disappear.
Not because they lost value—but because they never played the volume game.
And that’s when you run—from the hype.
Run from formulas that perform better on Instagram than on your skin.
Because when you start to recognize the difference between performance… and performance marketing—you can’t unsee it.
Some products speak through their performance. Others are just performing.
And the ones worth keeping? They don’t chase your attention. They earn it.
STANDING TOGETHER, WITH HOPE
This is not a critique—it’s a heartfelt expression of concern, and optimism. As a founder who understands the realities of vendor relationships, forecasting, and inventory decisions, I empathize with every team navigating uncertainty right now.
To the Saks team: we’re cheering you on. To fellow indie brands: stay grounded, stay ready. The world is shifting, and with the right choices, we can shape what beauty and wellness look like next.
As AveSeena, we’re not just here for transactions—we’re here to transform. Together.
And to you, my dear reader—if you’ve ever felt the difference between what shines and what supports you, you’re not imagining it. You’re just paying attention. Stay curious. Stay discerning. And never settle for beauty that doesn’t love you back.
With trust and respect,
Dr. Ebru
Molecular Immunologist & Skincare Expert
As an Immunologist trained in Molecular Medicine and as an expert in skin care and cosmetic chemistry, Dr. Ebru Karpuzoglu has spent +20 years researching skin, impact of hormones on the immune system sharing her findings in international publications with her audience, and building an award-winning line of products. Trusted by scientists, doctors, editors, bloggers, celebrities and skincare lovers around the world, her deep real-world knowledge and research are invested in every drop of AveSeena.
Sources Referenced in This Article:
Cohan, William D. Saks Pistols. Puck News. May 21, 2025. https://puck.news
Saks Creditors Shut Out of Majority Group Organize as Bond Sinks. Bloomberg Law. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/bankruptcy-law/saks-creditors-shut-out-of-majority-group-organize-as-bond-sinks
Saks Bondholder Group Plots Aggressive 51% LME. Debtwire via Ion Analytics. https://ionanalytics.com/insights/debtwire/saks-bondholder-group-plots-aggressive-51-lme
Disclaimer: This article reflects publicly available data and personal perspective. It does not represent the views of Saks Fifth Avenue. This article is for educational purposes only.
