The European prestige beauty market is moving at various speeds. If the region’s growth reaches 4%, both in value and volume, growth patterns vary significantly from one country to another.
The trend observed in 2024 was confirmed in 2025, with three market drivers: the UK, which rose by 8% in value, and Spain and Italy, both at 6%.
“In the UK, the beauty category is among those that best withstand the harsh economic environment in the country. These three markets rose by 65% in value, compared to 2021,” says Lion.
Meanwhile, Germany shows modest growth of 1%, while sales in France’s selective distribution channel are declining, down 1% in value and 3% in units, in a market worth EUR 4.3 billion in revenue.
“Consumers’ pessimism is weighing heavily on the market. According to our study, 42% of the French plan to reduce their beauty and personal care spendings, given the global economic situation. Some brands are also facing structural challenges”, she adds.
French exceptions
To Lion, this situation is also due to the French market’s distribution specificities, in particular the rise in importance of pharmacies and mono-brand retailers, including Aroma Zone, Adopt, and Typology, as well as the booming Chinese platforms and discounters, riding the wave of fragrance dupes consumers are very fond of.
“If you look at data across the three main distribution channels – mass, prestige and pharmacies – performance remains stable in both value and volume, as growth in the pharmacy channel is offsetting the shortfall elsewhere. In the selective channel, it is primarily volumes that are declining, but this deconsumption trend was already visible before the pandemic. So, we are back to the situation where the selective market gained value with premiumization, but lost in volume,” she explains.
It should also be noted that both in 2024 and 2025, traditional festive events like Christmas, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, saw a sales decline of 3%, except for Valentine’s Day and the Black Friday – the latter mainly boosts e-commerce. “It is a phenomenon specific to France, which raises questions about the market’s ability to keep the magic of gift-giving alive in key trading moments,” adds Lion.
The omnichannel driver
It should be emphasized that the sales decline in France is mainly observed in physical points of sale, with a drop of 4% in value and 6% in volume. By contrast, e-commerce is experiencing strong growth of 12%, both in value and in volume, and now accounts for 18% of sales compared with 8% in 2019, a level similar to that seen during the pandemic lockdowns, when stores were closed.
“The e-commerce momentum is real, but France lags far behind the UK, which achieves over 50% of sales online, and Germany, with 46%. It just shows how significant the digital growth potential is,” says the expert.
To her, French consumers turn to e-commerce because they are attracted to more affordable prices, broader offerings, and more aggressive promotional offers. “The latter point raises the question of brands’ perceived value when such wide price gaps exist between distribution channels,” highlights Lion.
Few changes across categories
Perfume, the first market in France with 2.3 billion euros in revenue, is also the main category that contributed to last year’s downturn, with -3% in value and -5% in units. However, a few growth areas remain. On the one hand, perfumes with high concentrations rose by 20% in value, driven by many launches. Premiumization is getting stronger, with fragrances worth more than 185 euros – a rise of 24% in value. At the other end of the spectrum, body sprays performed at +22%.
Makeup accounts for 1.2 billion euros: it is stabilizing in value and declining slightly in units, down 1%. Strong performers include promotional gift sets, up 16%, and lip care, which remains resilient at +1%, unlike glosses and lipsticks, down 13% and 16%, respectively. In line with the makeup skinification trend and the K-Beauty wave, tinted creams rose by 14%. Notably, lip primers emerged as a still modest, but fast-growing segment.
Skincare is the category that is struggling the most, with 0.8 billion euros in revenue, down by 4% in value and 8% in volume. The competitive pressure from pharmacies and the rise of mid-range brands are weakening established prestige players. Face care is the most affected, with -6% in value and -6% in units, despite the craze for K-Beauty. Only cleansers and promotional gift sets made progress, respectively at +18% and 3%.
Prestige haircare is the smallest category, with less than 200 million euros in revenue, but it remains the most dynamic, with growth of +29% in value and +25% in units.
“Although it is mature, the French market still has a huge potential to build upon, in particular when it comes to omnichannel strategies, innovation, in particular in the perfume segment, creating differentiating experiences in stores, and key retail periods. Lastly, the issue of price remains key. Right now, France is the only European country that is still experiencing inflation in the beauty category, while its neighbours have entered deflation. This is weighing on the competitiveness of traditional channels and accelerating the shift towards alternatives perceived as more affordable,” concludes Lion.
