Battle of the Beauty Retail Sale

It is no secret an all retailers are struggling and trying to find new ways to get consumers back in the store. Everything from popup shops, new emerging brands and designers, collaborations with celebrities and influencers. All great ideas but the last few years shows that the success with such is a flash in the pan. Here today gone tomorrow. Now off to try and capture them again.

The current retail battles are happening in beauty. Sephora with the Beauty Insider promotions, and Ulta with their 21 days of beauty. It’s fascinating to watch. Beyond the 2 previously mentioned retailers, they all get in the game somehow.   Price matching that was not a common practice 6 years ago, and is what stores are doing to keep the sale from going elsewhere. They must do so to “stay competitive”. They’re all chasing the same dollar. Consumers are getting the same deal everywhere. Super convenient for consumers. Not so much for retailers. How do retailers make a sale enticing enough to make people leave their home and head to the store?

Gone are the days of big traffic on the sale days. People waiting to get in, long lines, and sell through. When you started seeing Macy’s commercials for a 1 day sale, with a 1 day preview, twice a month, you kinda know that the sale really isn’t anything special, and a sale just doesn’t cut it anymore. No more wow factor, the excitement of snagging a huge deal. Now, just the knowledge of if they miss that sale, they can make the next one in a few weeks, leaves consumers no longer in a rush to shop.

 Ulta’s 21 days of beauty for years had been a big push for brands and cam really help boost those numbers. Not so much anymore. More and more clients are staying home, setting reminders on their phone, so they can snatch the deal they want. With the added bonus of getting online only deals, and no price match in their B&M store. Strange.

Clients are getting the product burnout. Too much of the same thing over and over again. New, different, better is what most consumers seek. So where is it? After the big promos of the year with Beauty Insider, Sephora’s big day is Black Friday. $10-15 Deals day. Why these are so good for B&M is they are unique to Black Friday. Special editions, special sets, and special sized of already loved products (as I gaze at my last year’s FAB Ultra Repair Cream black Friday steal… that’s a lot of cream.. and yes I’ll pick up another this year).  Happening during holiday shopping rush is helpful, but these are things that typically aren’t available the rest of the year. They go fast! That’s how you get attention and get people in. Something Unique. And a killer steal.

Don’t get me wrong, 21 days is great. And consumers will grab a few of their staples, and some will try new things. Ulta has a great rewards program that allows you to earn money off your purchases, and coupons galore.  So really, a sale can happen for you just about any day. No need to wait until official sale.  Why would anyone rush out? Why would they bounce from retailer to retailer when the sale price will be offered everywhere?

Consumers are looking for a deal. They know when they are coming too. How do retailers recapture the fire of promo days past?

One of these things is not like the other

With so many “beauty truths” out there, actual truth is getting lost. Buzzwords swarming around. A new “better/ best” popping up weekly. The industry is clouded with information, and some misinformation. So let’s get a few things straight:

Clean ≠ Vegan.  Yes, they are commonly lumped together, and it seems like a new brand every day is launching with title of Clean & Vegan. One of these things is not like other.

“Clean Beauty”. Not made with any known harmful ingredients. Everyone’s new hot trend. With the daily uptick of wellness blogs, healthy lifestyle blogs, and awareness, chemicals have gotten a bad name. Nothing makes a professional roll their eyes harder than clients wanting “chemical free” products. Unless you are mixing the moment you are applying it, “chemical free” isn’t a thing. Now, there are chemicals safer than others. Which is where the FDA and EU come into play with regulations and bans.  The European Union has a full list on banned, and chemicals for restricted use. The US has very few in comparison. Why? The US FDA, while it has rigorous testing to get approval for usage, very few get banned. IF harm is caused by an ingredient the FDA pushes for voluntary discontinuance of use, whereas the EU looks to not begin usage. When you hear the words “clean beauty”, it really letting you know of what’s NOT in the product. Known endocrine disruptors are not used, and this helps those suffering with certain conditions narrow down their search. They aren’t organic, they aren’t natural, they aren’t always vegan, just less likely to do harm.

Vegan. No animal products or bi products. That’s it. Simple.

Cruelty Free ≠ Vegan.  Cruelty Free means the product has not been tested on animals. On occasion you will see “final product not tested on animals”. At some point, some ingredient(s) may have been tested on animals. Vegan companies will not perform animal testing, and search for ingredients that have never been. There is a rare occasion where there is one source, or one ingredient and many many moons ago it happened. There was a time when this was the only known way for safety testing. Many companies are moving away from these antiquated methods.

The demand for cruelty free, vegan products is reaching new heights. With that comes the need to expand distribution, and deep pockets. Many of the small brands are getting purchased by some beauty majors. Many of the majors have made the decision to go ‘cruelty free’. Great. Fantastic. Now, how do you navigate the beauty world with majors that still perform animal testing, or own other companies that do? What if the parent company does animal testing in another field but is simply the financiers, and do not require them to use same testing? Where is your line in the sand?

Natural ≠ Better. The term natural is unregulated. We’re not talking organic which is regulated where testing, and approval can take years. Let’s just talk “naturals”. Along with clean beauty comes the naturals of the world. For many years, if a product was natural it was seen as not being as high quality, high performing, and just missing the mark. The more technologies that join the market, the more possibilities there are. Naturals are now getting the performance, and quality people want. But is natural better? Not necessarily. The more sensitive, reactive, and allergies one has the less likely natural would be the best. Safe synthetic is the way to go. It’s why they were created. The biggest misunderstanding I encounter is thinking natural is not going to give you a reaction. It’s quite the opposite. Common allergies are from things found in nature. Reactions can and will happen.

If these buzzwords have caught your attention, I encourage you to dig a little deeper. Why are you so drawn to the idea? What are you seeking from your routine that your current one is lacking? What are these products offering that your current selections isn't? Nothing wrong with a little change and improvement. Be sure you get what’s right for you.