Beauty has shown resiliency over the past two years, even as shoppers pull back in purchases of other categories.
Shoppers make it clear that they won’t give up beauty regimens even if they must change some of their shopping habits. Consumers flocked to stores and online not only on Black Friday but the entire weekend, with beauty items on their lists.
For the first time, personal care and beauty cracked the top five categories tracked by the National Retail Federation and Proper Insights & Analytics. The research revealed that 23% of shoppers purchased a beauty or personal care item over Thanksgiving weekend.
The five-day holiday period exceeded NRF’s projections, hitting 200.4 million shoppers. Some of the retailers who sell beauty that saw considerable jumps in foot traffic included Macy’s, which registered a 458.5% hike in visits, Kohl’s, with a 414% climb and Ulta at 358.8, per Placer.ai data.
According to research from the ICSC, about 66% of Thanksgiving weekend shoppers – or 118.8 million people – spent money at a brick-and-mortar store, consistent with 2022 and up five percentage points from 2021. Of those, 41% said in-store shopping is generally their preferred way to shop. That’s good news for physical retailers.
Customers showed a greater zeal for deals than in the past few years. A shopper at a Sephora in a Kohl’s story said she noticed Black Friday deals were floated before Black Friday. Numerator research found that more than seven in 10 of respondents to its shopping survey report that rising prices somewhat or significantly impacted their holiday gift shopping.
Thanks to the brand’s renowned sales and gift-with-purchase offers, Clinique was mentioned as a holiday favorite. An Amazon Black Friday special was just enough to convince one shopper to pull the trigger on the Revlon One-Step Volumizer and Hot Air Brush she had been eyeing. Several people interviewed during store intercepts admitted they shopped on Black Friday and Cyber Monday for gifts as well as for themselves.
Joining fragrance and cosmetics, retailers also reported people buying hair care and skin care as gifts. Several brands, such as Living Proof, K 18, dae, and Ouai, curated hair gift sets. Clinique, Youth to the People and Sunday Riley offered skin care gift ideas at Sephora.
According to the NRF survey, 55% of shoppers’ Thanksgiving weekend purchases were specifically driven by sales and promotions, up from 52% in 2022. Thirty-one percent said a limited-time sale or promotion convinced them to make a purchase they were hesitant about, up from 29% last year.
Over half of consumers (55%) took advantage of early holiday sales and promotions. About one-third (35%) shopped specifically in the week leading up to Thanksgiving (Nov. 16-22). As of Thanksgiving, 85% of consumers had started holiday shopping.
Advent calendars continued to gain momentum. The Babor ampule calendar, The Dior $750 calendar, Glow Recipe’s 120-Days of Glow, Charlotte Tilbury’s Lucky Chest and the Liberty of London Beauty advent calendar have all sold out. Retailers, including Ulta Beauty, Target, and Walmart, also got into the advent calendar business.
Fragrances are still selling well, but shoppers are starting to look for smaller sizes or dupes. There are a few theories, including that they have enough of the luxury scents on their vanities for the time being or that they have decided to trade down to replicas. This year, versions of Baccarat’s Rouge 540 (which sells for $200 and up) were mentioned as popular choices.
Dupes, or products inspired by luxury items, are also shaking up makeup and skin care. E.l.f. and Milani are among the brands often mentioned as good options to pricier lines like Charlotte Tilbury and Christian Dior. According to research from NielsenIQ, dupes help support the beauty industry because they keep people in the category even during tough economic times.
While beauty is off to a blistering start, experts say the promotional nature could pinch the bottom line. But in the meantime, the industry is enjoying being one of the few sectors with gains in dollars and units.
ABOUT FAYE BROOKMAN
Faye Brookman has reported on the beauty and personal care industry for more than 35 years. 
She contributes to beauty industry publications including Women’s Wear Daily and CEW Beauty News. Her articles have also appeared in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. She also is a frequent moderator for discussions of the beauty business and retail industry.
A graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Brookman resides in Skillman, N.J.
In case you missed it, check out Faye’s previous article about Beauty in an Uncertain Economy.
Categorized in: Beauty Declassified