Deep Dive

Gen Z Beauty Shopping Highlights

Gen Z’s beauty shopping habits are different from any other generation that came before them. 

Here’s an overview of where they’re shopping, how much they’re spending, and what factors are impacting their purchase decisions most. 

Gen Z Beauty Budgets

It’s no secret we’re in the midst of economic uncertainty. Yet, Gen Z beauty budgets remain strong. 

Overall Monthly Beauty Spending (Online + In-Store)
Roughly how much money do you spend on beauty products TOTAL per month?
$0
0%
$1-$50
12%
$51-$100
25%
$101-$200
28%
$201-$500
23%
$500+
12%
Monthly Online Beauty Spend
$0
4%
$1-$50
26%
$51-$100
27%
$101-$200
21%
$201-$500
15%
$500+
7%
Monthly In-Store Beauty Spend
$0
2%
$1-$50
27%
$51-$100
30%
$101-$200
22%
$201-$500
12%
$500+
7%

Openness to New Beauty Products

Sure, Gen Z’ers reach for their tried-and-true beauty products. But they’re also willing to give new products a try.

of Gen Z are at least somewhat likely to buy a new beauty product in the same transaction as a habitual beauty product.
0 %
Top Websites/Stores for Gen Z to Research/Buy New-to-Them Beauty Products
A specialty beauty retailer's website (Ulta.com, Sephora.com etc)
76%
Speciality beauty retailer store (Ulta, Sephora etc)
66%
A brand's website (BenefitCosmetics.com, Glossier.com etc)
60%
Amazon.com
54%
A mass retailer's website (Target.com, Walmart.com etc)
48%

Gen Z’s Top Purchase Considerations

Consumers consider many factors when shopping for beauty products. For Gen Z’s, user-generated content has a larger influence than traditional marketing initiatives. 

Top Factors Gen Z's Consider When Deciding Whether to Buy a Beauty Product
Which of the following do you CONSIDER when it comes to making decisions on whether to buy beauty products?
Customer Ratings and Reviews
87%
Customer photos and videos
76%
Recommendations from friends/family
58%
Tiktok
57%
In-store recommendations from store specialists
39%
Instagram
39%
Search results on retail sites (e.g. Amazon.com or Ulta.com)
32%
Results on Google and similar search engines
32%

How Gen Z Beauty Shoppers Interact with UGC

Beauty shoppers of all ages rely on user-generated content to make informed shopping decisions. This is especially true for this young cohort. 

read ratings and reviews when shopping for beauty products online.
0 %
read ratings and reviews when shopping in-store.
0 %
seek out photos and videos submitted by other consumers when shopping for beauty products online.
0 %
read customer Q&A when shopping for beauty products online.
0 %

How Gen Z’s Values Impact Their Beauty Shopping Behavior

Gen Z is the most politically progressive generation we’ve seen. And their values have a big impact on which beauty brands they support – and which they avoid. 

feel it’s important that a beauty product is “clean.”
0 %
think it’s important that a beauty product is vegan.
0 %
feel it’s important that a beauty brand is Black-owned.
0 %