Revealed: UK prestige beauty market sees 38% increase in sales
By Chloe Randall | 20 November 2020 | News
Research by The NPD Group has revealed that online sales of beauty products have provided a welcome boost to the UK prestige beauty market.
This market includes skincare, body care, make-up, fragrance and men’s grooming, and reported sales of over £491 million from January 2020 to the end of October 2020 – an increase of 38% from the same period in 2019.
E-commerce accounted for 41% of total prestige beauty sales in the period from January 2020 to the end of October 2020, compared to 21% of total beauty sales in the same period in 2019.
Emma Fishwick, account manager, NPD UK Beauty explains: “Prestige beauty brands and online retailers were quick to respond to lockdown with many providing online incentives to purchase such as offering free delivery, gifts with purchase, price promotions, online tutorials and virtual ‘Try On Services’ to support shade matching from home.”
In April 2020, when all non-essential retail stores were closed, e-commerce accounted for 94% of total prestige beauty sales. After retail stores reopened in June, online beauty retail continued to be popular with consumers.
In August 2020, online sales accounted for 37% of the total market compared to August 2019. In October 2020, this increased to 40% of the prestige beauty market as the UK adopted a regional lockdown approach.