Key Takeaways:
- Social-commerce is driving beauty purchases, especially among Gen Z and millennials.
- Consumers demand ingredient transparency, efficacy, and value-driven product assortments.
- In-store experiences must match digital discovery for lasting customer loyalty.
ChangeUp’s latest study, based on a survey of over 1,600 US beauty shoppers, reveals that consumers now expect retail to go beyond transactions, demanding a physical experience that rivals the dynamics of the digital world. This shift is urgent as physical stores lag behind evolving beauty trends.
The Influencer Effect
- 59% of shoppers actively seek affordable alternatives to high-end products.
- 70% of Gen Z and millennials make purchases directly via TikTok or influencer links, underscoring the power of social commerce.
- 72% use Instagram as a tool for visual discovery.
- 67% use TikTok as a tool for visual discovery.
- 67% use YouTube to research beauty products.
E.l.f Cosmetics exemplifies this trend, doubling its Q2 2025 sales through campaigns like Makeup Trending on TikTok, tightly linking online buzz to in-store transactions. TikTok sales in the US have seen a surge of 120% year over year (YoY), with beauty and personal care ranking among the top-selling categories alongside womenswear.
Longevity-Driven Beauty
- 71% of respondents read labels carefully.
- 69% maintain ingredient “no-lists.”
- 69% rely on beauty products to look and feel younger.
These numbers hint at a growing sophistication among consumers who value both science-based results and age-defying efficacy. The anti-aging segment is growing at twice the rate of the broader industry, deluded by the mainstreaming of ingredients like peptides and hyaluronic...
