10 minute read
KEY TRENDS
BRANDLESSNESS
Brandlessness is increasing in popularity, premium products are being sold for lower prices to strip out ‘brand tax’. Refining focus on high-quality product and affordability, the trend also aims to add more transparency into ethics and manufacturing processes. Brandlessness also focuses on simple but beautiful packaging, an example of this is the packaging used by The Ordinary.
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PLASTIC & SUSTAINABILITY
The past couple of years has seen a complete attitude change towards plastics, especially one-use products such as carrier bags, water bottles and packaging. Brands such as BullDog and Bybi are leading the way by using natural sugar-cane to produce polyethylene, which is then made into a green plastic alternative. The sugar-cane plastic has the same benefits of regular plastic regarding purpose but is 100% recyclable and biodegradable. TT&WH need to make themselves stand out in a saturated skin care market, and using 100% sustainable packaging could be an excellent way to start.
VR/EXPERIENCE ECONOMY
"Creating a unique shopping experience is crucial." (Norbert Rickert 2018)
Although customers can buy almost every item they need on the internet, the majority prefer to feel and see the products in real life before making a purchase. It is vital that every customer feels happy and welcomed in any retail store, and that is why many retailers create a unique shopping experience in-store.
The customer experience trend is growing and becoming more important for retailers every year. According to Motorola Solutions Future of Retail study (2018), “74% of retailers agree that bilateral shopping experience will be one of the key elements for a successful business.” All retail brands use different methods to create shopping more exciting for their customers, one of the newest approaches is incorporating virtual and augmented reality in-store. With the help of virtual reality, retailers can build a new world for customers which engages on an emotional level. Augmented reality is an interaction with overlaying digital information to objects. Goldman Sachs (2016) forecasts that VR and AR market will reach £1.2 billion by 2025. Whilst conducting primary research by investigating shops in London, Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Mirror is one of the examples found of how AR is used in-store. The Magic Mirror helps customers to virtually experience each of Charlotte's make-up looks on their faces and encourages people to discover new shades before deciding what to buy. However If a brand is going to use VR, it needs to be done correctly as bad quality content can impact negatively on the brands image. Creating a unique shopping experience by using VR and AR is not the only route to take to attract customers to the brand. Personalisation counters, large size product samples and offering customers premium herbal tea when they enter the store (Please see appendix 1) are other ways to create a unique shopping experience. A great example of personalisation is Birchbox’s counter where customers can fill their own Birchbox so it is functional and unique to each consumer.
(RetailDIVE, 2018)
ATH-BEAUTY
The growing athleisure trend has begun to influence the beauty industry through the emergence of a term known as ath-beauty. This involves a much more proactive and less superficial approach to skincare, by not only offering products to improve the outer appearance but also to improve one’s inner wellbeing and mental health. Inner and outer beauty are often correlated, and so one influences the other, making both these factors essential in a modern all-round beauty regime.
Brands have addressed this trend through offering yoga regimes and digestion-boosting tips, to incorporate into one’s daily routine. Also, involving mindfulness techniques often used in positive and cognitive psychology, such as a positive thoughts diary which encourages the individual to recognise and deal with their thoughts – no matter how negative. According to the Future 100 Report (JW Intelligence 2017), Generation Z does not respond to large scale ads and expects brands to be open discussing wellness and mental health.
The beauty industry has also moved into the fitness sector and is encouraging an active lifestyle through facial workouts. Face Gym combines product and exercise to tone the face, consisting of a warm-up, strength training, cardio and cool down (Hendry and Yee 2016). This goes beyond anti-ageing by strengthening facial muscles and preventing sagging before it even occurs.
The healing powers of gemstones have been harnessed in skincare as the skin requires minerals, vitamins and water for a healthy appearance. All solid objects have a vibrational energy but as our bodies are made from mostly water and liquids are less stable, they produce less steady vibrations. Minerals have a higher frequency than the body so will travel towards weaker cells to balance them, this makes them extremely effective in targeting issues like redness - deeply penetrating the skin to work on a profound cellular level. It has been used for centuries in ancient, Eastern medicine and it is believed Cleopatra bathed in rose quartz infused water due to its strong healing benefits and anti-ageing properties.
Diamonds are a popular stone used in skincare as they are a natural exfoliant helping to remove toxins and purify the skin, promoting the regeneration of cells. Jade has been used for centuries in Chinese beauty and this is where the iconic face rollers originated. The cooling stone helps puffy skin by eliminating excess fluid so increasing circulation and improving skin elasticity. Rubies have also been used in skincare to boost the appearance of the skin and restore radiance.
MENS FACIAL SKINCARE
For the majority of men, the concept of skincare has barely entered their vocabulary, let alone their bathroom cupboards. The change in the idea of masculinity driven by recent campaigns, as well as the advancement of technology in the category has stimulated interest amongst men. There has been a shift in men's view of skincare, and increasingly more men are now starting to take care of their appearance and stick to a skincare routine. There is not a vast range of male skincare products on the market. However, there is a clear, distinctive difference between the textures of male and female skin with men’s skin being 25% thicker than Women’s. As well as rougher and more oily, due to hormone testosterone and more active sebaceous glands (Alter for Men 2019).
While men are increasingly paying more attention to personal hygiene and their skincare regime, there is still a considerable large portion of men who judge grooming as a feminine area. Still, plenty is being done to make this category more acceptable to ALL MEN.
The men’s facial skincare market is estimated at £92 million in 2018, having fallen over the last few years as men do not feel like they need skin care, and those who do are trading down to cheaper products within a more basic routine (Mintel 2019). Mintel predicts the market to decline to £80 million by 2023, however, influenced by the population of men aged 45+ and their attitude towards skincare. The short term, the market needs to find a way to relate to older men, while ensuring the engagement of younger men is a crucial long-term tactic.
According to Kantar market research, a third (33%) of UK men say they use face creams and lotions on their skin. Further, 4% of men claim to use these more than once a day, 11% once a day, 10% once a week or several times a week, and 7% less than once a week (Whitehouse 2018).
Little focus is given to men in skincare; their feature in advertising has been relatively two-dimensional, and they are given a trimmeddown education about their skin and the products or ingredients that can help them. The lack of information can lead to disengagement.
Men are responsible for buying their own skincare. However, this alters at both ends of the age spectrum; while teenagers are likely to leave this financial responsibility to their parents, the over 65’s are unengaged in the category and hand over the reins. As men become financially independent, they take more responsibility for their skincare and begin to experiment with different brands and products, making 25-44-year-olds the primary target for many brands. However, as 73% of men who use facial skincare buy all the products, they use themselves, it is worth appealing across age groups. (Mintel 2019)
INGREDIENTS
CBD The beauty and skincare market have witnessed the rise in popularity of the ingredient Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive derivative of the Cannabis plant, with many niche brands incorporating the multi-beneficial ingredient into their products and, more recently, many mainstream brands following suit. CBD has previously been used to ease the symptoms of mental health conditions such as PTSD and anxiety (Garber-Paul 2018), and has now seen success within skin care products in particular as it is “non-comedogenic so won’t block pores, is rich in antioxidants, especially vitamin E, has anti-inflammatory properties and essential fatty acids for hydration” (Baird-Murray 2018).
The CBD industry is said to be worth approximately $591 million in 2018 (Garber-Paul, E., 2018), and according to research conducted by Brightfield Group, is predicted to reach $22 billion by 2022 (Anonymous 2018).
Despite the recent increase in the use of the ingredient within skin care and predicted growth of the industry, CBD may be profoundly challenged by consumers due to the negative connotations of the origin of the ingredient. Brands choosing to incorporate the ingredient within their products will need to educate their customers on the benefits of CBD, and perhaps more importantly, distinguish the difference between the psychoactive derivative of Cannabis (THC) and the non-psychoactive qualities of CBD (Bair-Murray 2018).
CLIMATE CHANGE The terms ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ have been used in abundance in recent years to market beauty and skincare products to combat harmful chemical ingredients most associated within the industry, such as parabens. However, it is argued that coining the term ‘natural’ is not necessarily a benefit and can be equally as harmful to the user as well as the environment (Shearman 2017). More beauty and skincare brands are now turning to laboratory made ingredients and bio-engineering in a bid to offer a more environmentally and human-friendly alternative to the possibly detrimental ‘natural’ ingredients as well overcome the impact of climate change on growing crops and raw materials (Bailey 2018). According to the WGSN Macro Forecast Team, “thanks to scientific breakthroughs such as bio-engineering, we will have the ability to re-make nature to fit our needs, and develop more sustainable systems in the process” (2018).
POLLUTION
Modern day pollution is an issue which is having a huge impact on the beauty industry. In recent dermatological studies, it has been highlighted that day in, day out exposure to pollution from exhaust, smog, smoke and even extreme climate can cause dehydration, acne, ageing, dullness and sensitivity (Stenzel 2016).
Therefore, with the current impact pollution is having on the beauty industry a gap has been created within the market. The need for anti-pollution skincare is now more necessary than ever.
The market for the sale of pollution combating skincare products in Great Britain saw growth of 30% in the period from January to June 2017 (Cosmetic business 2017). However, the brands who are offering anti-pollution skincare products are those of higher end. The gap in the market hasn’t yet been majorly touched upon within the retail beauty market.
Primary research has indicated that 91% of people are actively concerned by the current pollution levels. Alongside this, 84% of those are interested in a pollution protecting product.
