The research was undertaken by beauty retail specialists Outform to uncover the changing habits of beauty shoppers over a 12-month period, and found that consumers wanted more discovery-led, high-touch and interactive experiences.
It revealed that the opportunity to test and try out a new product in a store was key for 92% beauty shoppers to go ahead and then actually buy the item.
Meanwhile, 86% stated that having the option to consider and compare products was important during the shopping experience.
The study also revealed that 58% of beauty shoppers tended to arrive in-store with a shortlist of products and brands they want to consider and highlighted that 54% of respondents said they wished there were more opportunities to try and test out products before they buy.
Hungry for more education and expertise
Another notable finding was the relatively high number of shoppers who said that they didn’t get as much education and in-store experts as they needed. Although two-thirds (67%) of beauty shoppers said they felt inspired when shopping in-store, 39% said there was not enough guidance or education around the products.
In fact, 65% said they considered expert advice to be important when making a purchase decision, yet 35% said they could never find a member of staff to help when needed.
In-store digital experiences are valued
Based on the research, Outform also noted that “Digital experiences are seen as a key enabler for mission-driven shoppers who believe they can bridge the knowledge gap and provide a rounded and more complete in-store experience.”
It shared that the research showed that more than eight-in-ten (85%) of beauty shoppers said that digital interactions – such as digital screens, QR codes and Augmented Reality (AR) – would help them explore new products and better understand a product's benefits. This figure was up by 6% on last year’s survey.
Meanwhile, eight-out-of-ten of those quizzed said they expected digital screens to facilitate product exploration while in-store, which was up by 10% on last year’s figure.
Another seven-out-of-ten shoppers said they would scan a QR code and share personal data to obtain a product trial; and 75% said they would use digital screens to access customer reviews.
AR experiences were also increasingly valued by those quizzed, with almost half (49%) of shoppers citing the technology as important to access while shopping in-store – which was up by 11% in comparison to last year – and 79% of beauty shoppers said they found product ‘lift and learn’ technology useful.
A whole new world of personalisation for shoppers
According to Outform, the research showed that in-store beauty shoppers are being driven by a desire to explore and better understand product features and benefits across all markets, particularly for first-time purchases of new-to-them brands or products.
It also added that the survey revealed that “beauty brands and retailers are falling short of delivering either the knowledge or experience in-store shoppers are looking for.”
VP of growth for EMEA at Outform, Clare Cryer, shared: “2024 is set to be a game changer of a year for beauty. The arrival of AI-driven beauty tools is about to open up a whole new world of personalisation for shoppers and drive the demand for discovery and understanding to ever greater heights.”
She continued: “In-store shopper experiences are going to become even more central to communicating the sector’s innovations and crucial for ensuring shoppers can navigate their way through any potential confusion.”
“It bodes well that shoppers already recognise the value of digital interactions for experience, exploration and education. It’s now up to us all in beauty to get the content right and deliver the relevant interactions beauty shoppers want, on their terms,” she concluded.
