How much of that spending is happening online?
The largest portion of consumers (31%) are spending between $1 and $50 online on beauty products each month; 27% spent between $51 and $100.
This year, 37% of consumers spend more than $101 online on beauty products each month. Last year, 24% said this was the case.
Openness to Trying New Beauty Products While Shopping Online
It’s easy to assume online beauty shoppers add the same products to their baskets time after time. However, many regularly branch out to try new products.
The largest portion of consumers (35%) indicate 26%-50% of their online beauty purchases over the past 12 month period were for products they’d never tried before. Three in 10 (31%) say new products account for 51% or more of their online beauty purchases from the past year.
Where Online Beauty Shoppers Start the Purchase Journey
Online beauty shoppers have plentiful shopping options. Where are they opting to start the online purchase journey?
Again this year, a beauty retailer’s website (for example, Ulta.com or Sephora.com) is the most common place to start the purchase journey. Over half (57%) of consumers say this is where they most commonly begin shopping for health and beauty products.
Amazon trails quite far behind as #2. A mere 17% start the online purchase journey there.
Where Online Beauty Shoppers Research Products
When consumers buy habitual beauty products (for example, a go-to lotion or face cream), they typically don’t do much pre-purchase research. They already have experience with the product and know whether it’ll meet their needs.
But when a consumer is considering a new-to-them purchase, they do more research. In most cases, this research happens online. But where?
A specialty beauty retailer’s website – such as Ulta.com or Sephora.com – is the most common place for consumers to buy or research new beauty products they’ve never purchased before.
Other top online destinations for beauty product research and purchasing include brand websites (57%), Amazon (54%), and mass retailer websites (like Target and Walmart).
Online Beauty Spending is Growing
Increasingly, consumers are spending a larger portion of their beauty budgets online. This year, over a third (37%) of consumers spend more than $101 online on beauty products per month. In 2022, 24% did so.
Brands and retailers must be equipped to deliver winning, seamless shopping experiences – whether consumers are shopping online, in-store, or a combination of the two.
While there are many websites consumers can purchase beauty products, beauty retailer sites are the most common place to start the online purchase journey. Brands and retailers must do all they can to ensure shoppers can find the information they need to make informed purchase decisions.
Consumers are Trying New Beauty Products When Shopping Online
Over a third of consumers say 26%-50% of their online beauty purchases from the past year were for products they’ve never purchased before. 31% of consumers indicate new-to-them products account for 51% or more of their online beauty purchases from the past year.
Clearly, online beauty shoppers are willing to try new products while shopping online. It’s critical to ensure these shoppers have the information they need to learn about new products and ultimately, make an informed purchase. Brand-provided information is important. But it’s content from other shoppers (including ratings and reviews, photos, and videos) that has the most significant impact on purchase behavior. Here, we explore some of the top factors impacting product discovery and purchase decisions.
