Commentary
Women Are Online, Shopping For Cosmetics
- by Stephen Reily , Columnist, November 2, 2009
Even more surprising were their responses about where they are buying most of their beauty products.
• Sixty-seven percent of them said that they were buying most of their beauty products from stores that typically sell higher-priced items: beauty stores, department stores and online retailers.
• The 2nd most popular source for beauty products is not department stores, or beauty stores, but online retailers. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said that they purchase most of their beauty products online.
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What are they paying more for? Almost half of respondents (48%) said that her biggest beauty investment/extravagance is anti-aging moisturizer. Now I understand why every major cosmetics company has launched or purchased at least one of these product brands.
When we asked them what made them pay more for certain cosmetic products, 36% said they would spend more on hypoallergenic products; an additional 32% said they would pay for products with anti-oxidants.
Where are they shopping online and why
In a follow-up question to our members, we asked where they buy cosmetics and why. Among the many, many answers, here are a couple of interesting examples:
• I like use Sephora.com for the range of products they carry, the samples they include with your order and the ability to return online purchases at their local store.
• I buy my favorite makeup brands on e-bay. E-bay sellers can only sell new makeup so everything is new.
• I found Lily's Apothecary in Plymouth, Mass., and now won't go anywhere else!
• I LOVE to shop.elizabetharden.com! Not only do they have a fabulous assortment of cosmetics, but their skin care lines are primo!
What does this mean for marketers?
While beauty companies are better than others at recognizing the importance of Boomer women consumers, they should pay close attention to the important shifts this survey reveals.
First, continue marketing to the Vibrant Woman's desire for high-value beauty products. She will continue to pay more for them if you speak to her desire for healthier, more youthful skin. And she is probably spending more money on cosmetics than you thought.
Second, speak to her -- and sell to her -- online. We know that Vibrant Women view bricks-and-mortar retail (especially the department store) as an inherently hostile environment. For that reason, she is turning rapidly to websites for her higher-value beauty needs. Make those websites creative and interactive, and engage other Boomer women to tell their peers why they love your products.
Conclusion
Vibrant Women want to look as great as they feel, even as their skin changes.
Cosmetics companies will succeed with them if they:
• Recognize the willingness of Vibrant Women to pay more for products that meet their needs;
• Use them to refer each other to your products; and
• Sell to them online. Create robust, interactive websites full of the information they seek.
If you offer them deals and great service, they will buy premium cosmetics online.
Women are looking for unique, healthy and safe consumable products like cosmetics at a reasonable price...why would anyone be surprised at this.
Bricks and mortar is capital for the first visit to sample the product. Once someone is sold on the product, reorder is as simple as going on line. Sephora wouldn't be Sephora on line without its stores where sampling is invited and inviting. Also, many errors of on line cosmetic purchases get chalked up and dumped instead of returning products. Old habits.
Great article!
I would love to hear more about why 50+ women view brick-and-mortar stores as hostile environments in a future article.
I agree with Paula Lynn's comment. You do not have online sales without having the brick and mortar location to initiate the customer's relationship with the brand. I don't think that a woman's online consumerism towards makeup has to do with the "hostile environment" that this article refers to. Rather, I think that a woman's use of the internet to purchase makeup is strictly the result of busy lifestyles and a need for convenience.
Tiffany,
I agree with you on this article...I think it's great as well! I wanted to speak to your comment because I have an opinion on why 50+ women view brick-and-mortar stores as hostile environments.
I fall more closely in the Gen-Y demographic and I personally find cosmetic brick-and-mortar shopping to be hostile and unpleasant; as I would assume even most women, even avid shoppers do (crowds, pushy salespeople, bombardment of perfume spraying, etc). I think the answer to "why" 50+ find them to be hostile environments is simply a testament to them becoming more comfortable with online shopping.
From personal experience, when I find a beauty product I like, I am very loyal to it. Hence, why deal with the pushy salespeople at retail stores when you can just as easily order online with a few mouse clicks? 50+ women are just catching on to the trend. Would you agree?
Jennifer, thanks for your post! I completely understand your reasoning. I've been fortunate where I purchase my cosmetics (an upscale salon/spa in my city) in that I don't encounter this atmosphere when I shop for cosmetics, but I can see that may not be the usual experience. (I'm GenX.)
I was also wondering if boomer women find shopping in person to be more hostile due to being surrounded by signage and advertising featuring very young models, if they're treated differently because of their age or appearance, and the like. Are there any boomers here who can weigh in?
People are looking for unique and different and cheap ways to get there cosmetics but they want great quality! That's that my customers want on a day to day base and i provide all of those to them. As an Avon Rep I try to stay up to date on my research and make sure people get what they want! so if your one of those people that want a great product for cheap please let me know thanks Amanda