Where Now? Health & Beauty Displays post-Covid
Experience remains top of mind for health & beauty brands
Report by Zita Watkin, Shop! ANZ
In July 2019, a research report from Shop! Environments Association, Skin Care, Make-up and Cosmetics **, shared findings on store audits of skin care, make-up and cosmetics displays across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. The report provided a snapshot of the retail stores carrying these products and assessments for display elements within them.
The study reviewed more than 2,200 images from 177 store surveys, providing cross-country comparisons of in-store marketing materials and retail elements such as POP displays/fixtures, digital, mobile and interactive media, signage and type of messaging, sensory media, promotions/demonstrations, store and shop-in-shop design, and fixture display lighting.
"POP displays undoubtedly have a key role in influencing shoppers' purchase decisions, with 17% of shoppers in the United States alone citing in-store displays as the most influential media encouraging them to buy a new beauty product," said Leo van de Polder, MaRC, global development director at Shop!.
Enter 2020 Covid-19 pandemic
Only months after this report was published, we find ourselves in a retail space I don't think anyone ever imagined themselves to be in. Not in 2020 anyway.
In Australia and New Zealand, we have not been untouched by the health crisis. Sad, courageous and inspiring stories are still part of our day to day news feed. But we still remain far more fortunate that countries like the UK, US, Spain and Italy.
Australia's lockdowns have successfully flattened the curve of Covid-19 infections, and now we find ourselves half way through the year in June, with most small and large retailers reopening their doors hoping to reinvigorate their physical footprint in the safest possible way, whilst still delivering the experience that shoppers want.
Health & Beauty retailing post-Covid
Fragrance, cosmetics and skincare simply cannot have the same impact when advertised online and brands rely on physical destinations for revenue.
In 2019, Shop!'s Skin Care, Make-up and Cosmetics Report found that physical stores have an important role in the global cosmetics and skin care categories, with shopper demand for 'try before you buy' placing them ahead of online retailers.
And with global sales forecast to grow driven by consumer trends as well as the population growth in emerging markets, this information cannot be discarded post-Covid.
We need to rely on our data and innovate our retail displays to get up to speed with the 2020 retail shopper experience fast!
Simply going without product testing is not a viable option
The qualities and characteristics present in the beauty industry are hard to communicate with words, and the way products are advertised has not changed in nearly a century.
Adopting new ideas is key to addressing these real market needs. Hygienic testing solutions give brands the means to stay connected with shoppers through physical interaction with their products in a safe way.
"This is a call for innovation and technology to improve upon the essential process of product testing in-store", said Nathan Tindall, PoINT Retail Creative Director
He also explained that touch-free and hygienic testing is "not only safer, but it is also a huge impovement upon the dated and clunky system of product testing we are all used to".
Simple and effective design with use of sensors and automatic dispensers combined with digital content could revolutionise the way we interact with products in-store and make for a safer and more engaging experience.
Again this needs to be combined with a hygienic tester seal that is used to give shoppers confidence that they can engage with products and brands safely in the new normal of retail.
Report put together with with contributions from our Shop! global community. Thank you!
Research Skin Care, Make-up and Cosmetics by Shop! Environments Association
Creative Solutions Shop! Australia and New Zealand member, PoINT Retail
