Luxury Beauty Products Inspire Loyalty, According to NPD Research

Research into the purchasing habits of shoppers at luxury beauty chains in Paris paints a portrait of loyal customers averse to impulse buying. The NPD Group asked 1628 people in 40 outlets of Marionnaud, Sephora and Nocibé in the French capital about their shopping habits and the motivating factors behind them.

Luxury consumer displays loyalty

The research company found as many as 80% of respondents held the loyalty card to the shop where they were questioned and 60% said they did most of their beauty shopping in the same store.

The majority of the shoppers also stuck firmly to the luxury sector with as many as two-thirds saying they bought all their beauty products from prestige outlets. Asked about their reasons for shopping at prestige retailers, the respondents listed the wide range of products available and quality of service as the top reasons.

While service was considered important by 60% of shoppers, few customers were likely to be swayed by their advice. As many as 85% of respondents said they had made up their mind on what to buy well before passing through the shop doors.

Shoppers avoid impulse buys

Very few consumers were tempted into impulse buys, although some variation was seen between product categories. For example, consumers were much more likely to buy a makeup product on impulse than a fragrance.

Regarding their beauty budget, consumers said on average they expect to leave the store 63 euros, or about $82, poorer and with one new product in hand. Only 40% said they intended to buy several products.

CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com, January 21, 2009

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