Optimising the path to purchase in Beauty and Fashion

The way people shop for beauty is changing and refocusing online. Yet, some elements of the shopping experience are more difficult to translate online in those categories. What can manufacturers and retailers do to maximise their omnichannel touchpoints?

Julie Vigne Senior Research Director 02/06/2023

It is clear that needs and expectations are changing and are increasingly differentiated across generations. It is more difficult for brands and retailers to stand out, deliver outstanding shopping experiences and foster loyalty.

When it comes to fashion and beauty, fit, comfort and style are the top decision drivers. But, the underlying tension between price and quality is driving key changes in the market.

In an ideal world, shoppers want both, but increasingly, they chose one over the other and preference may differ between items, occasions, moods…

The rise of second-hand fashion, and the emergence of smaller, more sustainable and/or personalised beauty brands also stem from shoppers’ different definitions of value.

New entrants are directly tapping into those emerging trends while incumbents are sometimes still catching up.

It is clear that needs and expectations are changing and are increasingly differentiated across generations. It is more difficult for brands and retailers to stand out, deliver outstanding shopping experiences and foster loyalty.

Omnichannel is key

Most shoppers are omnichannel shoppers: across both fashion and beauty, more than two-thirds have bought products online – the same percentage as in-store.

In fashion the benefits of each channel are clear:

66% like the shopping experience in-store

while 64% like the convenience of buying online

But it also comes with challenges. 41% find in-store shopping overwhelming, rising to 51% among GenZ shoppers.

So how can we simplify the in-store experience for this group? And equally, how can we translate in-store experiences online (e.g. –trying on items to see how they look and if they fit)? How does online transition from quick, low-importance shopping missions with easy returns, to more engaged shoppers making, larger basket purchases?

In Beauty, the challenges also link to reassurance: how to provide personalised advice and convert the excitement for innovation into first trial?

50% of beauty shoppers want to try the products before buying, giving stores a significant edge. But strong loyalty in the category – with a third usually going back to products they’ve tried and tested before – means this only applies to a limited number of purchases, thus creating plenty of opportunities to leverage online channels.

More widely, this also translates into how to best provide personalised advice – a critical step for almost half of Gen Z and Millennials.

Leveraging the right touchpoints along the path to purchase

The retail space is only one piece of the puzzle. Generational differences are even starker when we look at early touchpoints in the purchase journey.

What really pulls generations apart is the touchpoints used before making the purchase decision.

Stores and retailer websites are by far the primary touchpoints for Boomers. In contrast, Gen Zs (and to a lesser extent Millennials) are more likely to use social media for styling tips.

Traditional ads and corporate websites are just not working for this generation. They need the reassurance of seeing these products worn and styled by real people before they take the plunge.

Key takeaways

It’s critical for brands to understand different audience needs across the path to purchase:

Needs – what matters to them

Triggers – what messages move them along the purchase funnel

Touchpoints – where do they want to find information

Next steps

Ready to find out more about your audiences? We help our clients segment their target audiences and understand how and where to communicate to engage them along the omnichannel path to purchase and increase conversion, leveraging online and offline touchpoints and optimise their omnichannel strategies.