“In such a competitive space, ensuring product visibility through smart online advertising is key & building a strong retail media strategy is crucial.” Vladi Shlesman, managing director for EMEA, Rithum.
Consumers are now increasingly shopping online to find cheaper health and beauty products as the ongoing cost-of-living crisis drives shoppers away from preferred brands. The survey of UK consumers highlighted that more than a third (38%) were more likely to shop online for personal care products than they were before the pandemic, and the main reason was to find the lowest cost.
The findings come from Rithum, one of the world’s largest commerce networks, which conducted a survey of UK consumers’ spending habits in the personal care sector. The research highlighted that two in five were spending more on personal care products per month and 12% of respondents had noticed a significant increase in costs, due to the cost of living crisis.
Price comparison was the top priority when shopping online, with over half (55%) choosing to buy online due to the ability to compare prices and sizes. Consumers are now prioritising price over factors such as the quality of the products. Ethical considerations were much lower on the priority list for consumers with less than a third (30%) shopping for cruelty free products and fewer than one in five (18%) interested in sustainable packaging.
Nearly two out of five (38%) said they would order a health and beauty product online that they hadn’t tried before, but only if it was cheaper than their usual brand. Price was even more important than recommendations from a friend which influenced under a third (30%) of those surveyed.
Millennials were found to be the highest spenders in this sector, with shoppers in the 25-34 age bracket spending the most per month on personal care products (an average of £50.26) compared to an average of £34.42 across all age groups. Of this age bracket 47% now buy more online than before the pandemic, showing the increase in popularity of ecommerce in the health and beauty sector.
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