2025
9
UK Online Beauty and Personal Care Retailing Market Report 2025
2025-11-28T16:02:51+00:00
REP1A74DADE_E74D_48D2_A8BB_F8E26D4D527B
2995
189145
[{"name":"eCommerce","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/industries\/retail\/ecommerce"},{"name":"Health and Beauty Retail","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/industries\/retail\/health-beauty"},{"name":"Market Intelligence Reports","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/report-type\/market-intelligence-reports"},{"name":"UK","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/markets\/uk-market-research"}]
Report
en_GB
The online BPC retail market has seen strong growth in recent years, rising by 7% in 2025. Boots is the market leader, while Amazon is the largest non-specialist. The market…
UK
eCommerce
Health and Beauty Retail
simple

UK Online Beauty and Personal Care Retailing Market Report 2025

"Online demand for BPC products will continue to grow, driven by social commerce, fulfilment evolution, and AI-powered tools elevating the shopping experience."

Sam Nguyen, Senior Retail Analyst

Sam Nguyen, Senior Retail Analyst

UK Online Beauty and Personal Care Retail Market – Trends and Insights

  • The UK online beauty retail market has seen strong growth in recent years, rising by 7% in 2025. Boots is the UK market leader, while Amazon is the largest non-specialist.
  • The UK online BPC retail market is becoming increasingly fragmented, with rising competition from smaller online-only players, and continued high investment from established retailers, both specialists and non-specialists.
  • Social media plays a pivotal role in product discovery and turning inspiration into sales. Advances in social commerce capabilities, particularly on TikTok, have made the channel an increasing competitor to traditional online sites.
  • AI is also disrupting the online market, becoming increasingly used for personalisation with consumers willing to share detailed personal information in exchange for tailored experiences and recommendations.
  • To build trust, clear communications about product ingredients and suitability should be a key part of brands’ social media content. Meanwhile, when implementing AI tools, it is essential to be transparent about information sources and data protection.

Key Issues Covered in the Report:

  • The current size and five-year forecast of the online UK BPC retailing market
  • Key players in the market and how they are performing and innovating
  • The perceived benefits of buying BPC products online over in-store
  • What BPC products are bought online, along with how and where they are bought
  • The influence of social media on BPC buying behaviours
  • Drivers that motivate consumers to look beyond price, including the role of personalisation
Report AttributesDetails
Published DateNovember 2025
Data Range2019-2030
Measurement MetricsRevenue in £
Country FocusUnited Kingdom (UK)
Consumer Data2,000 internet users aged 16+, August 2025
Number of Pages54
Market SegmentationBeauty, Makeup and Colour Cosmetics, Nail Care, Fragrances, Skincare, Personal Care, Haircare, Bodycare, Hair Removal, Everyday Toiletries (such as Oral Hygiene, Bathing, and Deodorants), BPC Accessories, Hair and Makeup Brushes, Hair Styling Tools, Beauty and Dental Tools.
Leading CompaniesBoots, Amazon, THG Beauty, Tesco, Superdrug, John Lewis, Sephora UK, J. Sainsbury, Space NK, Asda, LookFantastic, Shein, Viktor&Rolf, La Roche-Posay, Dermalogica, Caudalie, L’Oréal Paris, Maybelline, Essie, Sol de Janeiro, No7, P.Louise, Made by Mitchell, SheGlam, Kiehl’s, Dove, The Ordinary, Cerave, and indu.
Collapse All
  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for online beauty and personal care retailing
    • Opportunities
    • Personalisation to become a new metric of convenience
    • Win in social commerce by standing out and building trust
    • Imperfect products perfectly positioned to attract more shoppers
  2. THE MARKET

    • Snapshot – market size and forecast
    • Social media a growth driver, but misinformation demands attention
    • Counterfeits are a growing concern
    • Balance the excitement of online AI innovation with transparency
    • Small-size samples offer big opportunities, but also challenges
    • Online BPC sales  forecast to grow 39% between 2025 and 2030
    • Graph 1: online BPC retail sales (incl VAT), 2019-30
    • Online BPC growth will be underpinned by innovation
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Online purchasing of BPC products
    • Over three-quarters of UK consumers buy BPC products online
    • Younger shoppers drive the online BPC market
    • Graph 2: any online BPC purchase in the last 12 months, by age, 2025
    • Fragrance has universal appeal
    • Consumers are keen to explore imperfect BPC items
    • Imperfect items lower the barrier to entry for experimentation
    • Retailer and fulfilment use
    • Grocery retailers are the most popular location for online BPC purchases
    • Grocery rapid delivery will disrupt the market
    • Sephora’s shopper profile stands apart from other specialists
    • Graph 3: top retailers used to buy BPC products online in the last 12 months, by age and houeshold income, 2025
    • Department stores over-index in high-value categories
    • Collection and rapid delivery use set to grow
    • Graph 4: methods used to receive online BPC purchases in the last 12 months – NET, by age, 2025
    • Perceived benefits of buying BPC products online versus in-store
    • Convenience is the key perceived benefit of buying BPC online
    • Online shopping needs to go beyond the ‘buy’ button
    • Online shopping facilitates savvy behaviours
    • The influence of social media on BPC purchasing
    • Social media trends dictate BPC purchases
    • TikTok leads the charge in social commerce
    • Livestream shopping will fuel growth in social commerce
    • Tackle scepticism around social media shopping to ensure further growth
    • Motivations to look beyond price when buying online
    • Service is key to trading shoppers up
    • Graph 5: motivations to look beyond price when buying BPC, by age, 2025
    • AI transforms online tools and consumer expectations
    • Younger shoppers embrace data exchange for personalised experiences
    • Shoppers will increasingly demand high-quality personalisation
  4. RETAILER ACTIVITY

    • Leading retailers
    • Boots consolidates its leading position
    • Graph 6: estimated market share of retail sales of leading retailers selling BPC products online, 2024-25
    • Physical expansion drives online growth for Space NK and Sephora
    • Rapid growth among online-only fragrance retailers puts pressure on specialists
    • Graph 7: leading fragrance specialists, year-on-year change within the SpendMapper cohort, 2025
    • Differing fortunes of discount BPC specialists
    • Graph 8: leading beauty discounters, year-on-year change within the SpendMapper cohort, 2025
    • Amazon leads online BPC purchases among non-specialist retailers
    • Grocers and department stores look to bolster BPC offering
    • Launch activity and innovation
    • Rapid delivery at the forefront of investment
    • Enhance the experiential elements of online shopping
    • Leverage AI for personalised recommendations
    • Pushing innovations in product samples
    • Bring beauty and wellness closer together
    • Specialists embrace the K-beauty hype
    • Dispel misinformation prevalent within BPC
  5. APPENDIX

    • Market definition
    • The market
    • Forecast methodology
    • Forecast methodology – fan chart
    • Market size and forecast: underlying data – Online BPC retail sales
    • Market forecast and prediction intervals (value) – Online BPC retail sales
    • Market size and forecast of online BPC consumer spending
    • Graph 9: Online BPC consumer spending (including VAT), 2019-30
    • Market size and forecast: underlying data – Online BPC consumer spending
    • Market forecast and prediction intervals (value) – Online BPC consumer spending
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Repertoire analysis methodology
    • Leading retailers
    • Leading retailers selling BPC products online: revenues
    • Leading retailers selling BPC products online: market shares
    • Other data source methodologies
    • Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
    • Snoop SpendMapper methodology
    • Abbreviations and terms

Market Intelligence Made Easier With Mintel

The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:

  • Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
  • Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
  • Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
  • Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.

What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?

Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.

The Four Pillars of Our Research

We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:

  • Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
  • Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
  • Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
  • Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.

Bringing It All Together

Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.

Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.

For a closer look at a Mintel Market Intelligence Report, take a look at the sample PDF report below:
Please Note: All of the figures, graphs, and tables in this sample report have been redacted.
$ 2,995 (Excl.Tax)
  • Download today with instant access
  • Multiple formats provided
  • Interactive databook included
Add to cart

Next Starts Here

Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.

Learn more

Trusted by global industry leaders

Jackman logo

At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.

Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
Waitrose & Partners logo

We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.

Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.

Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
Epsilon logo

We utilize Mintel Reports, Trends and Comperemedia to mine for insights across the numerous business verticals that Epsilon serves, such as CPG, automotive, telecom, healthcare/pharma, retail and financial services.

By integrating Mintel insight into new business opportunities, we have been able to gain the competitive edge necessary to advance partnerships with global brands and key business players.

For our organization, it’s about depth and breadth. Having one without the other doesn’t enable success in our business.

Virginia Harvey, Secondary Research Manager, Epsilon
Amazon logo

Working in a customer-obsessed organization means that data and insights have to be at our fingertips. Mintel’s reports help us support anecdotes with real quantifiable insights. The summary sections (which I really like) helps save time by giving a birds eye view of the content before spending time combing through the pages.

Our business review discussions are strengthened by the relevancy of the reports to help us better understand our customers. In addition, the customer service received from the team (especially in crunch periods) makes the process of understanding customer behavior even better.

Ngozi Ngonadi-Nkwoji, Senior Marketing Manager, Amazon
Deutsch logo

One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.

We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.

We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.

Jeff White, Business Development Director, Deutsch

Next Starts Here

Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.

Learn more