As the curtains closed on the 2025 Australian Pharmacy Professional Conference & Trade Exhibition (APP), the Pharmacy Guild of Australia confirmed it was the largest event in the conference’s 35-year history, welcoming over 7,500 attendees across four action-packed days on the Gold Coast.

The conference was not only a landmark moment for community pharmacy—with announcements from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls MP—but also for the pharmacy beauty sector, which had a strong and highly visible presence across the bustling trade exhibition floor.

Retail Beauty’s owner and publisher Nicci Herrera and I (Retail Beauty editor) were on the ground, connecting with pharmacy retailers, suppliers, and beauty buyers to get the inside scoop on what’s trending and what’s next in pharmacy beauty. The team handed out hot-off-the-press Autumn issues of Retail Beauty, featuring Polished London on the front cover and Ashaya on the back—both distributed in Australia by Group 48, one of the country’s leading distribution, manufacturing, and brand development agencies.

Group 48 General Manager Fiona Mendonca was in attendance, and her interview outlining her critical role in driving strategic growth and brand innovation for a powerhouse in Australian retail—as a trusted wholesaler and distributor—can be found in the current issue. See page 20.

Attendees were treated to samples of Polished London Teeth Whitening Powder, the world’s first hyaluronic acid-infused whitening powder, further generating buzz for the brand across pharmacy retail.

Nicci and I also made a beeline for some of Retail Beauty’s favourite pharmacy beauty companies:

  • Chemcorp International, a long-time industry leader, whose house brands include the recently revamped 1000HOUR, Bathefex, Schoolies, pureTAN, and Freestyle. Chemcorp also represents powerhouse global brands such as Real Techniques, EcoTools, SheaMoisture, AHC, Dr Teal’s, Shakeup Cosmetics, and more. The company’s Marketing Manager, Sylvia Lechowicz, is profiled in this issue’s My Journey column, where she shares insights from her 15+ years in the industry. See page 38.
  • Wesfarmers Health’s vibrant Priceline Pharmacy stand was a hive of activity, as the brand continues to cement its dominance in the beauty retail space. The Retail Beauty team caught up with members of the Priceline buying team, who feature in this issue’s Beauty Buyers spotlight. See page 42.

  • Also spotted was Cherie Thompson, proud Wailwan woman and co-founder of Native Secrets, a 100% Aboriginal-owned and operated skincare brand harnessing native botanicals. Her inspiring story is also featured in this issue. See page 28.
  • At the Alita Sales stand, Natio and Boost Lab stood out as top performers drawing buyer interest. Alita Sales continues to be a major player in bringing independent and established beauty brands to the pharmacy sector.

The social side of APP didn’t disappoint either. Nicci and Michelle joined the Arrotex Pharmaceuticals celebration, hosted by billionaire businessman Dennis Bastas. Arrotex is the umbrella behind brands such as MCoBeauty and Nude by Nature, and continues to be a growing force in pharmacy health and beauty.

As always, APP was a key networking moment for pharmacy beauty buyers, and we were thrilled to cross paths with the likes of Hannah Jackson from Direct Chemist Outlet, who was spotted scouting the floor for the next big thing in beauty.

From breakthrough ingredient innovation to first-in-market launches, the beauty category made a powerful statement at APP2025. As the countdown to APP2026 begins, being held March 12-14 2026, Retail Beauty remains committed to showcasing the brands and people driving growth in Australia’s pharmacy beauty sector.

Read the AUTUMN ’25 issue of Retail Beauty below:

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