WOONSOCKET, R.I. — As vice president of merchandising for CVS Health, Andrea Harrison is responsible for the cosmetics, skin, fragrance, hair and personal care categories, as well as the beauty service program within the company’s retail business. Andrea has also recently assumed responsibility for the organization’s Hispanic Center of Excellence with a focus on ensuring localized assortments that reflect the needs of this important and growing segment of the consumer population.

Harrison explains that the beauty shopper today continues to evolve to focus on and expect not only the tried-and-true beauty products that they know and love but also the accessible health and wellness offerings and convenience that CVS offers them.

“That health and wellness focus has driven many of the moves my team and I have led over the years, not least of which is the continued evolution of the Beauty Mark initiative, one of the achievements I am most proud of,” says Harrison.

“Over the past several years, we’ve seen the power of being a purpose-driven company and our proven ability to influence the industry to help our consumers have a healthier relationship with beauty,” she adds. “Since it was unveiled in 2018, we have continued to evolve our Beauty Mark mission based on the changing needs of consumers.”

Andrea Harrison

In May 2023, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Beauty Mark and aligning with Mental Health Awareness Month, CVS debuted a new social media campaign titled Role Model that powerfully showcases the impact of altered social media imagery on the younger generation and aims to spark change in social media behavior, encouraging consumers to practice image transparency by using #beautyunaltered or #digitallyaltered when they post.

Harrison points out that over the last six years, CVS has engaged thousands of influencers to rally around its Beauty Mark mission by posting unaltered imagery. Teamed with the Role Model campaign, CVS is continuing to work with dozens of influencers who can authentically speak to the topic — including Abbie Herbert, Arshia Moorjani, Dr. Mariel Buqué, Victoria Garrick Browne, Zahra and many more — and inspire consumers to participate in practicing transparency.

Harrison and her team continue to reimagine the assortment, value and physical space that has become increasingly appealing to consumers, all through a health and wellness lens.

She notes that product assortment is very important to consumers. “As healthy skin continues to be a major priority for us, we are always looking to introduce new products and experiences that meet the unique and individual needs of our diverse consumer base.”