five single-use red lipsticks which retail for $4 each. The collaboration was released on September 10 and is available on ELF’s direct-to-consumer site. Also, for the first time in ELF’s history, the collection will be available via Dashmart, a new type of fulfillment platform and store created by DoorDash that offers businesses a new channel to reach customers. The collection was inspired by a survey that revealed that 35 per cent of singles see first dates as the perfect opportunity to experience new makeup looks. “ELF and Tinder are kindred spirits, united in our commitment to self-expression and empowerment,” Kory Marchisotto, ELF Beauty’s chief marketing officer, commented on the launch. “Finding a like-minded partner like Tinder is non-negotiable in our collaborations. We draw inspiration directly from the pulse of our communities and translate it into bold action. Knowing 80 per cent of singles in the study said having a get-ready routine impacts their confidence on a first date, we created products to help them feel like their most empowered selves.” ELF’s clever appeal to the single, Gen Z consumer According to the United States Census Bureau, about 132.3 million Americans, approximately 49.3 per cent of the population aged 15 and over, were unmarried in 2022. According to Statista, Tinder is the most downloaded dating app amongst singles, with over 6.1 million monthly downloads in June 2024, but competitors are rapidly catching up. Hinge’s downloads were up 8 per cent year-over-year in August and its revenue was up 48 per cent year-over-year, whereas, Tinder’s year-over-year downloads fell by 1 per cent. Melissa Minkow, a director of retail strategy at CI&T, noted that ELF’s partnership with the dating app is a culturally relevant way to attract younger shoppers. “Considering the significant percentages of both Gen Z and Millennials that are single, and the fact that those are target generations for ELF, there is powerful overlap and reach potential in this collaboration,” she told Inside Retail. “This is a very fun, creative partnership that allows both brands to demonstrate that they see their single consumer,” she elaborated. “This road could continue for a very long time from a product development perspective, with a range of fragrances and color palettes for specific types of dates.” The retail expert also noted that “on the digital front, it would be exciting to see both brands build unique features into their platforms that cater to this partnership.” For example, ELF and Tinder could use specific codes shared via each other’s channels to unlock extra consumer digital interaction capabilities. Minkow said there is a lot of “great whitespace” for dating apps like Tinder and retailers like ELF to tap into this form of authentic, interactive engagement with their consumer base, whether that is through intriguing product launches such as the “Put Your ELF Out There” vault or in-person activations such as the speed dating event that grocery retailer Fresh Direct hosted in coordination with the British-based dating app Thursday app.