A PLATFORM FOR BEAUTY FOUNDERS · EST. 2025
A platform for beauty brands navigating retail and wholesale. Start with the INDEX, an 8-pillar assessment that uncovers exactly where your brand stands and where to focus your energy.
BEAUTY RETAIL INTELLIGENCE
"I built this platform because I realized brands aren't given the tools to see what buyers are looking for."
CHRISTOPHER NOVAK · FOUNDER
THE BEGINNING
Born from decades in beauty retail, Primer is here to help you build something that lasts. Every tool, every module, every exercise comes from real conversations with brands at every stage of the journey.
THE EXPERIENCE
I was on one side of the conversation for most of my career: the retailer. I managed a counter, worked with global brands, and built a retail concept from scratch for investors. Over the years I kept seeing the same patterns in what early-stage founders weren't prepared for and didn't have the knowledge to navigate. I know what it's like to have all the resources — and what it's like to have none.
THE MISSION
Primer is built to empower early-stage brands. We listen. We get you the knowledge you need, because we know what brands at every stage are missing and how to help you close that gap.
THE INVITATION
Tell us where you are in your journey. We'll help you learn what you need to know, build what's missing, and get better, one pillar at a time.
Beauty brands that thrive in retail share something in common: they understood what retailers evaluate before they walked into the room. Primer is built to give every early-stage brand that same clarity, regardless of the resources they have behind them.
It starts with the INDEX, an 8-pillar assessment built from conversations with major retailer buying offices, from luxury to specialty to drug store. The INDEX lets a brand see exactly what a buying office is looking for, and where they stand against it.
After the INDEX, a framework of modules and exercises gives you the tools to close those gaps, one pillar at a time.
"I spent years across the retail conversation: as a brand builder, a merchant, and a consultant. The questions brands ask me haven't changed. Primer is the resource I wish existed sooner."
The Primer INDEX is live now. The framework, with pillar-by-pillar modules and exercises, is in active development. Founders who create a profile today help shape what gets built first.
This is not a course. It's a working platform that grows with your brand. Each time you complete the INDEX, it clarifies where you are right now and what to focus on next.
The INDEX works through 8 pillars of retail readiness — assessing your brand pillar by pillar, uncovering where you're genuinely strong and where the gaps are. Completed in around 60 minutes, it generates a full summary report with a clear picture of where to focus. Return to it over time and watch how your readiness develops.
01
Brand Strategy & DNA
Positioning, differentiation, brand architecture
02
Product & Formulation
Compliance, certifications, stability testing
03
Packaging & Visual Identity
Shelf-ready design, planogram fit, visual hierarchy
04
Commercial & Business Readiness
Pricing architecture, margin structure, trading terms
05
Digital Presence & Audience
Online channels, community, content strategy
06
Retail Excellence & Merchandising
In-store execution, shelf presence, velocity
07
Field Education & Activation
Training, sampling, in-store advocacy
08
Buyer Relationship Readiness
Pitch materials, sell-in strategy, retailer communication
The INDEX is live. The framework, including pillar-by-pillar modules, exercises, and tools, is in active development. Every module maps directly to a pillar in the INDEX. The gaps the assessment uncovers tell you exactly where to start.
Create a profile today and you'll receive email updates as new modules launch. The challenges you're facing become the brief we build from.
ABOUT PRICING
The INDEX is a paid assessment, priced to reflect the depth of insight it delivers. Select framework modules are available free. Paid modules unlock deeper guidance, exercises, and tools mapped to where the assessment reveals your gaps.
The INDEX takes around 60 minutes. Create a profile, work through the assessment, and walk away with a full summary report and a clear picture of where your brand stands and where to put your energy next.
01
Takes less than 5 minutes. Tell us about your brand: category, stage, where you sell. This becomes your workspace inside Primer, where your INDEX results live and where you'll access modules and exercises as they become available.
02
Work through 8 pillars of retail readiness. The assessment is designed to be completed on your own: honest, unhurried, and built around what retailers actually evaluate. Around 60 minutes. A full report at the end.
03
With your full summary report in hand, you'll know exactly where to focus. As framework modules launch, they connect directly to what the assessment uncovered, so every next step is grounded in your actual brand, not a generic playbook.
Create your brand profile and take the INDEX. Clarity is waiting.