Non-western gifting occasions are an opportunity
The increasing diversity in the UK offers BPC brands and retailers a significant opportunity to tap into culturally inclusive gifting by aligning products with occasions like Eid, Diwali, and Lunar New Year, especially given that 40% of UK adults agree that brands who celebrate diverse festivals demonstrate commitment to inclusion.
Value innovation is needed
The tough economic climate and stagnant gifting launches are a threat to the category, meaning a shake up is needed. Brands must increase launch activity, while also addressing the need for value.
Gifters are looking for advice
Providing in-store advice and personalised guidance presents a major opportunity for BPC brands and retailers to stand out and foster loyalty, with 71% of UK BPC gift buyers wanting more in-store advice. Men are especially in need of advice, and given they are significantly more likely than women to shop for luxury gifts, luxury brands and retailers are well placed to meet these needs.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Purchase of BPC gifts by product, category, brand positioning, and the relationship to the recipient
- Consumers interest in product and packaging attributes
- Opportunities for product innovation
- What each price positioning needs to focus on to appeal to its consumers
- The differences between generations in BPC gift habits
Value remains a key driver, and there is ample opportunity to take advantage of the changing UK demographics by exploring non-western gifting occasions.
Dionne Officer, Research Analyst – BPC Innovation
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definition:
Gifting refers to the act of giving or exchanging gifts for special occasions, such as holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other meaningful events.
Products covered in this report:
- Colour cosmetics
- Fragrances (including body sprays)
- Haircare and styling
- Skincare (including face, body, foot and hand).
- Suncare
- Personal care (including oral, deodorants, and soap, bath and shower)
- Beauty and grooming accessories (including electrical and non-electrical)
- Vitamins, minerals or supplements
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for the BPC gifting market
- Meet the growing demand for culturally inclusive BPC gifting
- Gifting collaboration can drive consumer appeal
- Help consumers to gift thoughtfully
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market predictions for gifting in BPC
- What consumers want and why
- Consumers are gifting individual products
- Graph 1: purchase of beauty/grooming gifts in the last 12 months, 2025
- Fragrance takes the top spot for the most giftable category
- Graph 2: types of beauty/grooming products purchased as a gift in the last 12 months, 2025
- BPC gifts are seen as thoughtful
- Graph 3: relationship to beauty/grooming gift recipient(s) in the last 12 months, 2025
- Mass brands take the largest share of gift purchases
- Graph 4: price positioning of beauty/grooming gifts purchased in the last 12 months, 2025
- Consumers look to reviews before purchasing
- Graph 5: most sought after product attributes when purchasing beauty/grooming gifts in the last 12 months, 2025
- Gift packaging must make an impression
- Graph 6: most sought after packaging attributes when purchasing beauty/grooming gifts in the last 12 months, 2025
- Consumers are thoughtful when gifting BPC
- Graph 7: beauty/grooming gifting behaviours, 2025
- Innovation and marketing
- Gifting launches stagnate, a shake up is needed
- Graph 8: skincare launches accounted for by sets, 2020-24
- Graph 9: BPC launches carrying seasonal claims, 2020-24
- Smaller occasions present a big gifting opportunity
- Advent calendars increase their share of NPD
- Christmas marketing efforts in 2024
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market drivers
- Slow GDP growth hampers spending
- Graph 10: GDP, 2021-24
- Savvy gifting behaviour drives the need for value
- Graph 11: perception of the state of the cost of living crisis, 2025
- Heavy discounting threatens value sales
- Own-label brands are well placed to play
- Changing ethnic demographics create new gifting opportunities
- Graph 12: ethnic group distribution (high-level categories), England and Wales, 2011 and 2021
- Declining birth rates threaten gifting
- Graph 13: predicted change in the age structure of the UK population, 2025-30
- Piggyback off chocolate to align with Easter gifting
- Graph 14: gifting occasions that gift were bought for, 2024
- Help Gen Z share the love on Valentine’s Day
- Add sentimental value through personalisation
- Speedy delivery options could be an advantage
- Aid spontaneity with letterbox-ready gifts
- Food culture can fuel experiential collaborations
- Wellness opens new avenues for gifting
- Graph 15: usage of vitamins and supplements, 2020-24
- Pet humanisation opens doors for brand extensions and gifting
-
WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Purchase of BPC gifts
- Consumers are gifting individual products
- Graph 16: purchase of beauty/grooming gifts in the last 12 months, 2025
- Half of adults buy BPC products as gifts
- Learn from other industries to boost BPC subscription gifting
- Younger consumers are buying BPC gifts
- Graph 17: net purchase of beauty/grooming gifts in the last 12 months by, generation, 2025
- Types of BPC products purchased as a gift
- Fragrance takes the top spot for the most giftable category
- Graph 18: types of beauty/grooming products purchased as a gift in the last 12 months, 2025
- Men struggle to gift makeup
- Graph 19: types of beauty/grooming products purchased as a gift in the last 12 months, by gender, 2025
- Premium brands can succeed in functional gifting space
- Graph 20: select beauty/grooming products purchased as a gift in the last 12 months, by generation, 2025
- Relationship to gift recipient
- BPC is a thoughtful gift
- Graph 21: relationship to beauty/grooming gift recipient(s) in the last 12 months, 2025
- BPC products are gifted to loved ones
- Older consumers want quality over quantity
- Graph 22: relationship to beauty/grooming gift recipient(s) in the last 12 months, by age, 2025
- Convenience is favoured for distant relations
- Graph 23: purchase of beauty/grooming gifts in the last 12 months, by relationship to gift recipient(s) in the last 12 months, 2025
- Fragrance tops the list as the most thoughtful gift for loved ones
- Graph 24: types of beauty/grooming products purchased as a gift in the last 12 months, by relationship to beauty/grooming gift recipient(s) in the last 12 months, 2025
- Buyers overcompensate for distant relatives
- Graph 25: price positioning of beauty/grooming gifts purchased in the last 12 months, by relationship to beauty/grooming gift recipient(s) in the last 12 months, 2025
- Make products giftable to younger consumers through personalisation
- Graph 26: purchase of beauty/grooming gifts for someone consumers are not close to in the last 12 months, by parental status and age of children, 2025
- Types of brands purchased
- Mass brands take the largest share of gift purchases
- Graph 27: price positioning of beauty/grooming gifts purchased in the last 12 months, 2025
- Mass brands have mass appeal
- Own-label should focus on deals and extras
- Mass market conglomerates can leverage their large portfolios
- Help premium shoppers customise gifts
- Graph 28: consumers who have purchased premium beauty/grooming gifts in the last 12 months, by age, 2025
- Help men shop for luxury gifts
- Graph 29: consumers who have purchased luxury beauty/grooming gifts in the last 12 months, by gender, 2025
- Sought after product attributes
- Consumers look to reviews before purchase
- Graph 30: most sought after product attributes when purchasing beauty/grooming gifts in the last 12 months, 2025
- Consumers want to buy the ‘right’ product when gifting
- Help men show they are thoughtful
- Graph 31: most sought after product attributes when purchasing beauty/grooming gifts in the last 12 months, by gender, 2025
- Positive product reviews are impactful
- Non-electrical tools are ripe for personalisation
- Luxury brands bank on limited edition packaging
- Modernise promotional activity with TikTok Shop
- Creating inclusive gifts: lessons from Lush’s Eid collection
- Sought after packaging attributes
- Sustainability is lower on the agenda than convenience
- Graph 32: most sought after packaging attributes when purchasing beauty/grooming gifts in the last 12 months, 2025
- Gift packaging must make an impression
- Ease of wrapping is of utmost importance
- Packaging must make an impression
- Graph 33: most sought after packaging attributes when purchasing beauty/grooming gifts in the last 12 months, by age, 2025
- Repackaging is an easy win for premium and luxury
- Licensed designs appeal to parents…
- …and makes some categories more giftable
- Graph 34: types of beauty/grooming products purchased as a gift in the last 12 months, by interest in licensed designs, 2025
- Reusable packaging appeals across positionings
- Seasonal designs are important for luxury brands
- Graph 35: price positioning of beauty/grooming gifts purchased in the last 12 months, by interest in seasonal designs, 2025
- BPC gifting shopping behaviours
- Miniatures appeal on multiple levels
- Graph 36: beauty/grooming gifting behaviours, 2025
- Consumers are thoughtful when gifting BPC
- Parents of young children need wellness gifts
- Utilise big data and AI to give in-store advice
- Opportunity to collaborate with chocolate brands for Easter
- Appeal to younger consumers with make their own sets
- Graph 37: beauty/grooming gift buyers who have made their own beauty/grooming gift set for someone in the last 12 months, by age, 2025
- BPC can collaborate with other categories
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation
- As gifting launches stagnate, a shake up is needed
- Graph 38: BPC launches carrying seasonal claims, 2020-24
- Graph 39: skincare launches accounted for by sets, 2020-24
- Advent calendars increase their share of NPD
- Opportunity for more limited edition Valentine’s Day products
- Graph 40: share of colour cosmetics, fragrance and skincare launches calling out Valentine’s Day on-pack, 2024
- Non-western occasions remain niche
- Graph 41: share of BPC launches calling out Al-Fitr, Eid, Al-Adha or Ramadan on-pack, 2020-24
- Luxury brands go after Lunar New Year
- Easter gifting needs chocolate to appeal
- Own-label makes gifting more affordable
- Use gifting occasions to encourage brand discovery
- LVMH caters to a wide range of premium budgets
- Graph 42: BPC launches carrying a seasonal claim, by top 10 ultimate companies (based on 2024), 2023 vs 2024
- Luxury launches continue despite economic challenges
- Gifting must marry sustainability and premium packaging
- Graph 43: seasonal BPC gifting, by fastest growing eco-ethical claims, 2020-24
- Create products with children’s sensitive skin in mind
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Boots explores Mrs Claus’ Werkshop…
- …and points out price savings
- Charlotte Tilbury shares the love
- Extend inclusion strategy to influencer events
- Men’s gifting appeals to love and duty buying habits
- Aesop piggybacks off of cinema growth
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APPENDIX
- Supplementary data
- Trends in the age structure of the UK population
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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