US Consumers’ Path to Purchase – Spotlight on Beauty: 2025
2025-11-03T18:02:14+00:00
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The consumer journey in the beauty and personal care sector is a complex process shaped by a mix of emotional, social and practical drivers. This journey is dynamic, with various…
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Health and Beauty Retail
simple
US Consumers’ Path to Purchase – Spotlight on Beauty: 2025
"To create a seamless experience for beauty shoppers, brands and retailers must bridge the gap across channels and personalize the experience with relevant options to facilitate decision-making."
Marisa Ortega, Analyst - Retail & eCommerce
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What you need to know
What consumers want and why
Opportunities
Opportunities along the beauty path to purchase
MARKET DYNAMICS
Market drivers
Market context
Technology facilitates the shopping journey
Graph 1: attitudes toward shopping for beauty and personal care – any agree, by gender and age, 2025
Growing multicultural population drives a shift in values
Graph 2: population growth (% annual change), by race and ethnicity, 2010-23
CONSUMER INSIGHTS
Consumer fast facts
Understanding the path to purchase
Sources of discovery
Digital channels present key opportunities to introduce consumers to new products and brands
Despite the growing influence of digital channels, the physical store maintains its relevance
Despite the growing influence of digital channels, physical stores remain essential
Graph 3: sources of discovery, 2025
rhode expands its reach by becoming available at Sephora
Unlock beauty discovery with TikTok
Glossier launches on TikTok Shop
Trusted sources of information
Build consumer trust with referrals, stores and SEO
Leverage referrals, stores and SEO to earn consumers’ trust
Graph 4: trusted sources for beauty and personal care information, 2025
AI is influencing younger consumers’ path to purchase
ChatGPT users can now go from searching to purchasing within the platform
Social media is paramount to influence multicultural consumers
Graph 5: trusted resources for beauty and personal care information, by race and Hispanic origin, 2024
Shopping behaviors
Price sensitivity is a major driver of brand switching
Price consciousness is most likely to lead consumers to switching brands
Graph 6: shopping behaviors, 2025
Consumers take individual and specific behaviors when shopping for beauty and personal care
Graph 7: shopping behaviors, by gender and age, 2025
Reviews are an important part of the beauty shopper journey
Graph 8: attitudes toward shopping for beauty and personal care, 2025
Thingtesting helps shoppers feel more confident to try new brands
Channel preferences and purchase drivers
Consumers shop across channels
The path to purchase is omnichannel
Graph 9: path to purchase preferences, 2025
Trust and value are critical for converting consumers
Graph 10: purchase drivers, 2025
Trust is the primary factor in influencing consumers to make a purchase
Sephora expands reach by taking partnerships to the next level
Women want benefits in exchange for their loyalty
Graph 11: purchase drivers, by gender and age, 2025
Attitudes toward beauty and personal care
In a crowded market where brands struggle to stand out, consumers often face decision paralysis
Younger consumers need help finding what they need
Graph 12: attitudes toward shopping for beauty and personal care – any agree, by age, 2025
e.l.f. Beauty debuts a shade finder
Leverage tutorials to engage younger beauty shoppers
Encourage purchases and prevent abandoned carts with added benefits for meeting a minimum order threshold
Graph 13: attitudes toward shopping for beauty and personal care – any agree, by age, 2025
The online impulse: how brands can drive extra buys
Graph 14: attitudes toward shopping for beauty and personal care – any agree, by gender and age, 2025
INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
Rare Beauty leverages billboards as a sampling channel
Dossier expands its retail footprint
L’Oréal Paris launches an AI-powered beauty assistant
Pinterest turns inspiration into action
APPENDIX
Consumer research methodology
Consumer research questions
Essentials drive the market
Graph 15: items purchased, 2025
Beauty products are the “sine qua non” for middle-aged women
Graph 16: items purchased, by gender and age, 2025
Generations
Abbreviations and terms
TURF methodology
The consumer journey in the beauty and personal care sector is a complex process shaped by a mix of emotional, social and practical drivers. This journey is dynamic, with various touchpoints across channels influencing purchasing decisions. For example, nearly one third of consumers aged 18-34 now use AI platforms to find reliable information about beauty and personal care, compared to just 17% to overall consumers. This shifting behavior opens up a new channel for marketers to connect with potential customers.
Beyond technology, economic conditions also play a crucial role in the shopping journey. Price comparison is a standard step for consumers to decide what to buy. With the current high cost of living and economic uncertainty, shoppers are frequently trading both up and down. This behavior underscores the importance of strategic pricing, product comparison tools and focusing on customer retention as a more reliable strategy than acquisition.
To succeed, brands must address consumer pain points and optimize every stage of the journey. By building trust and enhancing satisfaction, they can foster long-term loyalty. A commitment to authenticity, personalization and a seamless journey will not only encourage consumers to choose a brand or retailer but also to become its advocate.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
How the economy impacts the consumer journey
Technological solutions making shopping easier
Effective marketing channels for driving discovery
Shopping behaviors when considering what to buy
Aspects that drive consumers from consideration to action
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