CHOOSING A BEAUTY PRODUCT: DO WOMEN ASK FOR PROFESSIONAL HELP

• According to an article published by It's Your Turn, most American women hesitate to ask for help due to certain preconceived notions. It was found that women are taught to take care of themselves and asking for help would be considered a weakness.
• Multiple studies conducted using different methods indicated that women are more likely to not ask for help than men for what they want.
• Based on the study conducted on the 'purchasing power of women' by Girl Power Marketing, over 64% of millennial women in the United States rely on recommendations from friends and family.
• A large percentage of American female purchasers rely on social media, of which 69% of them utilize blogs to learn about new products and 64% of them utilize other social platforms. The study also reveals that 70% of American millennial women look for in-person word-of-mouth advice and recommendations to influence their purchase-making decisions.
• The study showed that American women do not limit themselves to the trend of one-stop shopping and their purchasing journey is found to be fluid. External choice is found to be a key impact in influencing women's shopping habits.
• The study on the 'purchasing power of women' revealed that 81% of American women rely on product reviews to influence their purchase-making decisions. It was also found that 57% take pictures, videos, and images into consideration, 53% look into testimonials, 51% go through reader comments before purchasing products.
• Over 86% of women consumers believe they are more likely to purchase products from a brand they have never purchased before when they first start to interact with the brand on social media.
• According to a study conducted by ThinkOver, over 91% of women purchasers in the United States believe that the opinion of friends and family is important for purchasing.

PURCHASING BEHAVIOR OF WOMEN FOR COSMETIC PRODUCTS

• The important aspects for women when purchasing cosmetic products in the United States are quality, brand, low prices, deals that feature the products, the contents of the products, recommendations from family and friends, and media/online reviews.
• Statistics show that 95% of women aged between 18 and 29, 80% of women aged between 30 and 59, and 81% of women aged over 60 believe that quality is the most important aspect when purchasing cosmetic products.
• Over 51% of women aged between 18 and 29, 63% of women aged between 30 and 59, and 56% of women aged over 60 believe that the popularity of the brand influences their purchase-making decisions.
• Over 65% of women aged between 18 and 29, 54% of women aged between 30 and 59, and 22% of women aged over 60 believe that the cost of beauty products plays an important part in their purchase-making decisions.
• A study on the Makeup Preferences, Behaviors of Women published by FieldAgent found that 66% of women purchase their beauty products from either Target or Walmart, and sometimes both. The study showed that 46% of women purchase beauty products from Walgreen’s, 44% purchase from Ulta, 42% purchase from CVS, 37% purchase from Sephora, 23% purchase from Macy's, 19% purchase from Amazon, 11% purchase from Kroger, and 11% purchase from Rite Aid.
• According to a study conducted by Mintel, most women in the United States prefer to purchase cosmetic products for the same reasons, however, they do not wish to look the same as others. Additionally, the purchasing decision for cosmetic products is largely driven by digital insights that they gain through various online mediums.
• Over 69% of American women said that they get a boost to their self-esteem from using various beauty products and prefer to purchase products that are easy to use. It was also found that 46% of women particularly look for beauty products that are tested by dermatologists and have sunscreen/UV/SPF protection.
• According to the survey by ThinkOver, 89% of women say they wait for an item to be on sale before purchasing.
• Trends also suggest that women are increasingly becoming conscious of the components used in beauty products. Over 57% of women in the United States believe that it is vital for them to purchase products that are all-natural.

POSSIBLE DRIVERS FOR WOMEN ASKING/NOT ASKING FOR PROFESSIONAL HELP WHEN CHOOSING A BEAUTY PRODUCT

Lack of Trust

• A large percentage of women (59%) in the United States believe that they are misunderstood by brand marketers and retail advertisers when it comes to beauty and cosmetic products.

• Studies indicate that over 64% of American females trust in recommendations from friends and family.

Larger preference for digital advice

• Over 95% of women in the United States own a smartphone and they primarily look into social media platforms and blogs to learn about product features and assess potential purchases.
• Studies indicate that the purchasing behavior of women has changed and are largely dependent on digital recommendations for purchasing cosmetic products.
• Around 58% of American women claimed that they regularly refer to beauty blogs. On average, women consult up to three cosmetics and beauty blogs for their beauty needs.
• Around 22% of regular female consumers and 32% of occasional female consumers watch various beauty and cosmetics product review videos on YouTube.

RESEARCH STRATEGY