Amazon’s beauty retail: ‘Reef safe’ claim in demand
A recent report from One Click Retail explains where Amazon is leading in these markets within the UK specifically, and the consumer behaviours that are helping it get ahead.
The report asserts that though growth dropped off a little towards the end of q2 2018, it “remains strong, outpacing brick-and-mortar retailers as well as most online competitors.”
The report suggests offering ‘reef safe’ claims on skin care products may be a big opportunity for brands.
Notable changes: consumer habits
According to the One Click Retail report, both HPC and Beauty reflected some notable changes in consumer habits over the most recent quarter.
Mass skin care, the long-standing top category in the Beauty product group for Amazon, is dominated by established leading brands Riemann and Nivea respectively, both of which continue to experience strong growth.
The site’s top-ranking items are controlled by smaller brands that also have year-round appeal: a Facial Cleansing/Anti-Aging Brush from Foreo Luna ranked as the #1 Beauty item, and the Proactiv Acne System ranked as #3.
Additionally, Prestige skin care continues to be one of the fastest-growing subcategories, benefiting for Amazon’s strengthening hold on the luxury beauty market.
Seasonal impact
Though the overall size and growth of skin care is strong year-round (experiencing 61% YoY growth), the category is highly susceptible to seasonal conditions, say the report’s authors.
In Q1 2018, solar protection made up about 7% of this category; in Q2, that proportion more than doubled to 17%, with sunscreens entering some of the top product spots.
Environmental focus: Reef Safe opportunity
One key emerging trend is the environmentally-conscious, value-driven shopping, says One Click Retail – for example, in both the U.S. and the U.K., “reef safe” is now one of the 50 most popular terms for shoppers searching for sunscreens, though it was virtually non-existent in 2017.
In the U.S. this has resulted “reef safe” products taking up the top sunscreen rankings, and shoppers on Amazon.co.uk are searching for reef safe sunscreens just as frequently, says the report.
“However, as of the end of Q2, none of the 100 bestselling sunscreens on Amazon.co.uk are labelled as “reef safe” or use the term anywhere in their product page content – not even Green People Organic Sun Lotion, despite carrying the Amazon’s Choice tag for the “Reef Safe Sunscreen” search term,” it says.
“This is a major opportunity for manufacturers – the market remains wide open, so small brands have a chance to make a big impact by marketing to this demographic and providing a product that matches their needs and their values.”
