Following an initial drop off in traffic, in France and the United Kingdom, online beauty retailers have seen an impressive increase in visits and an uplift in the amount of time being spent on their sites, as well as a strong rise of transactions, throughout the lockdown period.

Despite this global uplift in online sales, some countries have been slower to benefit. In France, online sales of cosmetics have been longer to return to their pre-epidemic level and have not increased as much as in the UK and US.

Despite the global uplift in online sales, some countries have been slower...

Despite the global uplift in online sales, some countries have been slower to benefit. (Source: Contentsquare)

According to Contentsquare, the gradual upturn in online beauty sales corresponds to the evolution of consumers’ priorities during the period. After an initial focus on basic necessities (food, health products, etc.), consumers directed their purchases towards equipping their home for its new functionalities (office, school, leisure) with a rise in technological products, media, decoration ... Once these questions were settled, beauty, fashion and luxury returned to their position in the mind of online shoppers.

With so many countries going into lockdown and people being advised to stay home, it would be easy to assume that consumers aren’t going to worry about their morning beauty routines. In fact, the opposite is true. Consumers are focused on their personal well-being. Many are finding they have more time to devote to beauty and health goals they’ve had for a while and often these activities provide stress relief as well,” said Aimee Stone Munsell, CMO at Contentsquare.

Reflecting both the closure of brick-and-mortar businesses and this desire to indulge oneself, luxury cosmetic have been acclaimed online.

Luxury cosmetic have been acclaimed online during the lockdown period...

Luxury cosmetic have been acclaimed online during the lockdown period (Source: Contentsquare)

Renewed interest in beauty products may also reflect the way many players in the beauty industry have been focusing their promotions. We’ve seen many brands offering discounts and pushing luxury hand soaps and other necessities to the front of their homepages. This is helping to combine health, beauty and wellbeing in the minds of consumers,” concluded Aimee Stone Munsell.