Prestige Beauty Rises in 1st Quarter

According to The NPD Group, in the first quarter of 2016, sales of U.S. prestige beauty products were $3.7 billion, a 4% increase from Q1 2015. The growth across all categories was in large part driven by online sales, which accounted for 14% of dollar sales during Q1, a 2 percent increase over Q1 2015.
 
Karen Grant, global beauty industry analyst, The NPD Group—and a member of Beauty Packaging’s Board of Advisors, says, “Online is beauty’s primary growth engine, not just for the future, but now. It’s the arena where consumers are most free to investigate and discover products as well as emergent brands.” 
 
She says that as user generated content continues to grow more prominent and influential, it’s also building a reputation as the trusted voice consumers turn to when contemplating a purchase. 
 
“Online,” says Grant, “Consumers are increasingly more comfortable to buy when they trust the voice.” She adds: “Brands and retailers  adapting by increasing communication in both traditional and newer formats like user generated content to tell the brand story and consumer journey, are gaining consumer trust, involvement, and advocacy.”
 
Primer and concealer, shampoo, in-sun products and home scents all accounted for boosting sales.