As we all adapt to the global changes sparked by the Covid-19 crisis, we’re having to make some changes. Since many of us are going out less and working from home more (or exclusively), visits to drugstores and beauty supply retailers have dropped dramatically. However, one place we have been investing in -as consumers- is in-home beauty. In fact, we’re all watching a shift in buying patterns as in-home beauty becomes the new normal.
Economic Impact
According to McKinsey, “Zalando, Europe’s largest fashion and lifestyle e-commerce marketplace, reported a boom in pampering and self-care beauty categories, including candles, aromatherapy, and detox products; sales of skin-, nail-, and hair-care products were up 300 percent, year on year. That is consistent with results from Amazon, for which most makeup sales in the United States are showing slight declines, compared with the same month in 2019, while sales for nail-care products (218 percent), hair [colouring] (172 percent), and bath-and-body products (65 percent) are way up (Exhibit 5).” That’s notwithstanding the rush to invest in clean beauty products that are not only cruelty-free and ethically sourced but have a longer ingredient shelf life than original iterations.
So what’s driving this change and will it last? Primarily, three factors are at play here: lack of access, a shift in priority and safety concerns.
Lack of Access to Professional Services
In the spring, most of the western world shut the doors of all close-contact service providers. Haircuts, waxing, facials and nail treatments became impossible to source overnight. That forced the hand of many consumers… either learn how to carry out these treatments in-home or go without. From the sales figures of in-home beauty and self-care products, we can see many people chose the DIY option. This is likely to continue -to some degree- as consumers recognise the economic benefits of doing these treatments themselves.
Shifting Makeup & Beauty Priorities
Prior to the worldwide lockdowns, daily grooming to a high standard was a necessity. But as more of us continue to work from home for the foreseeable future, priorities change. Sharp, tapered fades and clean faces have been replaced by longer cuts and scruff for men. No longer is a ‘full-beat’ face a corporate female requirement. More women are opting to skip a full face of makeup in favour of a more natural look that focuses more on healthy skin. This is also likely to continue as many low-maintenance converts adopt this approach for the longterm.
General Concerns Over Safety & Hygiene
Lastly, we’ve all become more concerned about our own safety and the safety of others. As masks become compulsory in most countries, the message is clear. We need to adopt more hygienic lifestyles. According to the BBC, “despite many hurrying to sort their barnet out, with one salon reporting 50,000 calls to their appointment line in an hour, the BBC has spoken to some who say they’d prefer to stick with their home haircuts from lockdown.” It’s reasonable to assume many people will have the same attitude towards any close-contact service for years to come, despite loosened restrictions.
Thankfully, at GLITZ Makeup Technology we’ve been designing beauty and skincare tools for the ‘new normal’ consumer since our inception. We’re delighted we’ll be able to help millions more people take control of their beauty routines from the comfort and safety of their own homes. If you’d like to know more about our unique line of beauty tools, please get in touch.