William Lauder on department stores
From Tyler Brûlé is joined by William P Lauder – the third-generation leader of the Estée Lauder... · · Monocle Radio
“I would argue that the North American department stores, as a generic observation, there are exceptions, have not done a good enough job to make it worth the while of many of their consumers to make that effort. In other words, they haven't made it fun and entertaining enough to make it worthwhile to make that trip.”
On , William Lauder, Executive Chairman at Estee Lauder Companies Inc, spoke about department stores during Tyler Brûlé is joined by William P Lauder – the third-generation leader of the Estée Lauder... on Monocle Radio.
About William Lauder
William P. Lauder, executive chairman of the Estée Lauder Companies, has been active in several public discussions in 2025. In a December 2025 interview on Monocle Radio, Lauder discussed the evolution of the prestige beauty industry, noting that men are becoming skincare consumers by borrowing products from partners and that Clinique Skin Supplies for Men performs three times better online than in stores. He also commented that North American department stores have not made the shopping experience sufficiently entertaining to draw consumers. In November 2025, on the SHE MD podcast, Lauder spoke about the company's breast cancer campaign, which was co-founded by his mother, Evelyn Lauder. He stated that the campaign has helped fund research leading to a 92% five-year survival rate for Stage 1 breast cancer, and he advocated for all doctors who treat women to be able to calculate a patient's lifetime risk of breast cancer. In a September 2025 episode of The Kipling Balance, Lauder discussed leadership philosophy, stating that effective leaders should take no credit and all the blame, and that giving employees permission to fail is equivalent to giving them permission to try. He also described the company's acquisition strategy, noting that most acquired brands were small and grew on the company's platform.