Recent data from The NPD Group shows that as U.S. consumers hit the one-year anniversary of retail shutdowns due to Covid-19, online sales for prestige beauty remain strong, up +33% in Q1 2021 versus 2020. At the same time, brick-and-mortar sales are picking up, rising +3% YoY, driven in large part by double-digit growth in fragrance and hair sales. 

Makeup sales for the quarter came in at $1.5 billion (down 9% over the previous YOY quarter);  Skincare sales hit $1.4 billion (+12% ); Fragrance, spurred in part by Valentine’s Day rose to $953 million with an impressive +45% growth; and Hair reached $300 million (+48%).

Larissa Jensen, beauty industry advisor, The NPD Group—and a member of Beauty Packaging’s Board of Advisors—says, “Strong growth across most categories is being fueled by the anniversary of sales during a period of lockdown in March. This will accelerate over the next quarter before somewhat stabilizing over the latter half of the year. The positive news is that fragrance, skincare, and hair posted growth against 2019, a more accurate representation of industry sales. A reenergized consumer has emerged, fueled by the optimism of warming temperatures, lower case counts, and widespread vaccinations providing the promise of a return to normalcy.” 

More info: BeautyPackaging.com