According to the NPD Group, prestige beauty value sales in the United Kingdom increased 11% year-over-year in the first half of 2021; the total prestige beauty market was valued at £693 million between January 2021 and the end of June 2021.
Related: [report] US Prestige Beauty Q1 2021: NPD
However, sales of prestige beauty products declined 29% in the period from January 2021 to the end of June 2021, compared to the same period in 2019.
In the first half of 2021, e-commerce prestige beauty sales increased by 23%, compared to the same period in 2020.
In June 2021, 64% of prestige beauty volume sales were reported in brick-and-mortar stores, reflecting the desire for shoppers to return to physical retailers.
Fragrance
Fragrance reported a sales increase of 25% in the first half of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020. This accounts for 81% of value sales growth in the prestige beauty market in the first half of 2021, compared to 2020.
Fragrance has traditionally had the highest volume sales of prestige beauty sales in brick-and-mortar settings compared to e-commerce than any of the prestige categories.
That said, e-commerce fragrance value sales increased 91% from January 2021 to the end of June 2021, compared to 2019.
In the first half of 2019, 18% of fragrance volume sales were reported in e-commerce channels, compared to 42% of fragrances volume sales in the first half of 2021.
Emma Fishwick, account manager at NPD U.K. Beauty, says, “The fragrance market benefited from the decline in travel overseas. Where consumers might have traditionally purchased their new or replenished their favorite fragrances in duty-free, they have instead been buying locally and online.”
Makeup
Makeup value sales declined 6% in the first half of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020. Makeup value sales declined 49% from January 2021 to the end of June 2021 when compared to the same period in 2019.
Brands have responded with new techniques using digital as a gateway to experimentation and offering virtual try-on applications. Online makeup sales have thereby increased 8% in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2020 and increased 14% this year compared to 2019.
Consumers are also choosing lightweight formulas like tinted moisturizers instead of foundations. Sales of tinted moisturizers increased 19% in the first half of this year compared to 2020.
Meanwhile, foundations declined 11% in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. Both sub-categories reported a double-digit decline in value sales in the first half of 2020, compared to 2019.
Skin care
Sales of prestige skin care increased 7% from January 2021 to June 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. The total skin care market, however, declined 22% in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2019.
Serums, cleansers and exfoliators recorded double-digit growth in the first half of 2021 compared to the first half of 2020.
Prestive skin care unit sales declined 1% in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period in 2019. Consumers are opting for more accessibly priced brands and products; skin care’s average sale price was down 15% compared to the same period in 2020.
Fishwick says, “After a very challenging year for the prestige beauty market in 2020, we are very pleased to see that consumers have not lost their love of premium and luxury brands. The market is changing rapidly and both brands and retailers are responding to these fast-paced shifts with innovation and new digital technology, while still remaining focused on one-to-one experiences that connect the customer with the beauty consultant in-person, in-store.”
