Take note, direct sellers. A new survey reveals that Amazon is winning over beauty consumers in search of glamour, gorgeousness and great skin.
According to the findings of the Stella Rising Glimmer Report – Searching for Beauty, seven out of ten beauty shoppers (71%) say that Amazon is their top destination to purchase beauty products. Other popular digital destinations for beauty purchases include Ulta.com (54%), Sephora.com (54%), Walmart.com (47%) and Target.com (36%).
In addition to craving convenience—being able to shop any time of the day or night (61%) and the ability to find better prices online than in stores (50%)—beauty product purchasers are using digital destinations such as Amazon because they offer an end-to-end beauty shopping experience.
The survey finds, for example, that two-thirds (65%) of beauty shoppers use Amazon to search for their specific brand of beauty products, and a similar amount (63%) use Amazon to search for a category of beauty products such as makeup. In addition, one-quarter of respondents say they use the navigation bar to find their preferred brand and product.
“Digital destinations, especially Amazon, have changed the beauty experience for consumers,” said Andrea Van Dam, CEO of Stella Rising. “In addition to a wide variety of products and the convenience of services such as free shipping, consumers place a high value on the product reviews and the ability to easily and quickly comparison shop on these sites.”
According to the survey, 75 percent of respondents state they read product reviews; 60 percent read product descriptions; and 44 percent look at product pictures and visit various sites to comparison shop.
Among the survey’s key findings:
- 41 percent of respondents are planning to spend more on beauty products this year compared to last year. Half (50%) are expected to spend roughly the same, with only 10 percent expected to spend less;
- Among those planning to spend more, nearly three-quarters (72%) are trying to use a wider variety of products, and 60 percent are using beauty products more often;
- Social media is the top source for learning about new beauty and personal care products (67%), followed by friends and family (50%); in-store browsing (48%); and online reviews (46%).
Other findings included:
- Friends and family (46%) remain the most trusted source for learning about new beauty and personal care products followed by social media (42%) and online reviews (38%).
- Mobile devices (84%) are the most favored for researching beauty products followed by desktop/computer (51%) and iPad/tablets (37%).
- Nearly half (48%) of beauty consumers research and buy on the same website, with 42% research and buying on different websites; three out of five (60%) of beauty consumers buy products on another website that offers lower shipping costs.
“The beauty industry, already disrupted by social media and the new DTC landscape, is more dynamic than ever,” says Van Dam. “This seismic shift in how consumers research, recommend and purchase beauty products has created a tremendous opportunity for independent as well as established beauty brands to connect with new generations of consumers. In an era where savvy brand marketers are using technology to help consumers monitor their personalized beauty and skincare needs, it is critical that brands as well as retailers understand how to effectively navigate the beauty and personal care digital landscape. Today’s consumer loves to have fun in the aisles of Ulta and Sephora but is probably checking her Amazon app at the same time.”
Stella Rising Glimmer Report – Searching for Beauty is based on a nationwide survey of over 2,500 consumers conducted in Q4 2018.
