SynopsisFoundations, compacts and other face make-up used to be the top products in the make-up category before the pandemic. However, with the spread of the novel coronavirus and subsequent lockdowns the use of such products came down hitting their sale badly.
NEW DELHI: With consumers beginning to step out of their homes, virtual interactions becoming a norm and weddings taking place again, make-up products like lipsticks, foundations and eye-makeup – which were badly hit by the pandemic – have bounced back, said top beauty brands and retailers.
“We are already on our route to recovery,” said Samir Modi, managing director, Colobar Cosmetics. “Given the rise in Zoom calls, a pop of brightly colored lipsticks, lips balms, and lip gloss, became the new go-to,” he added.
The brand has noticed a better response in its offline and online retail channels leading to a recovery of 85% with the eye and skin category going upto 10% to 15% (of the overall cosmetic category). It plans to launch several new products in these categories in the coming months.
At the beginning of the pandemic there was a heavy shift towards the usage and sales of skincare and haircare products but now even make-up is back, said Vivek Bali, CEO, Enrich.
“The beauty industry has seen a shift during the pandemic. Lipsticks have dominated the segment but with the wearing of masks, the focus has shifted,” Uma Talreja, chief marketing and customer officer at Shoppers Stop during the second leg to their talent show property – EyeStoppers 2020.
“During the pandemic, we believe that eye makeup can open the doors to artistry and creativity in makeup and give women a feel-good factor while they wear a mask,” Talreja added.
Foundations, compacts and other face make-up used to be the top products in the make-up category before the pandemic. However, with the spread of the novel coronavirus and subsequent lockdowns the use of such products came down hitting their sale badly.
The sale of make-up products in April, May and June was “practically washed out”, according to senior officials across brands. Market research firm Nielsen India, in September said that the beauty basket of consumers – skin care, lipsticks and fragrances – have had fewer new players entering the market in the last few months.
However, with the number of new covid-19 cases witnessing a decline and consumers beginning to step out of their houses, the category is beginning to bounce back. “A decent wedding season in December has helped,” Bali added.
“With masks becoming a prominent feature of our façade, we saw a big surge in demand for eye make-up. Despite the focus on the eye, the sale of lipsticks was intact – we sold around one lipstick every two minutes,” Manish Taneja, Co-Founder & CEO of Purplle.com, an online beauty portal which sells top brands like Maybelline NY, L’Oréal Paris, The Face Shop, Nivea, M.A.C, Clinique, etc.
The industry also expects consumers to move their purchases online in the coming times. “The lockdown has accelerated the adoption of e-commerce to further bolster the business,” said Taneja.
Change in business formats, as opposed to the way we were doing things before the lockdown. For example the clear shift from traditional selling points to activating digital spends is imminent in the coming times, said Modi of Colorbar.
The Indian beauty industry, which stands at Rs 73,000 crores, is expected to reach Rs 1.11 trillion in four years, according to industry estimates.
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