Beauty industry prepares for holidays with trend and purchasing predictions

Beauty brands and retailers are preparing for the holiday season by predicting what consumers will purchase in the upcoming months and adjusting accordingly. 

Spate predicts that holiday shoppers will seek DIY beauty solutions such as builder gel for nails and hair styling products that offer salon-quality results at home. The machine intelligence platform says consumers are seeking a blend of convenience, affordability and self-expression. 

In preparation for the holiday season, Rokt, an e-commerce company using machine learning and AI, partnered with Ulta Beauty to expand the beauty company’s retail media network and “elevate” the guest experience.

Meanwhile, health and beauty shops Superdrug and Boots expect to perform “extremely well” during the holidays.

Data-dependent

Spate believes personal care brands should use the trends as an opportunity to “craft meaningful narratives, not just sell products.”

Top trends per category ranked by December 2024 predicted year-over-year growth include pink chrome nails (80.6%), pheromone perfume (43.5%) and silicone body scrubber (59.1%). Spate gathers data from Google and TikTok.

Boots is selling a beauty advent calendar for the coundown to Chritmas (image credit: Boots).Within the Ulta Beauty and Rokt partnership, UB Media will add non-endemic advertisements for the first time. This will enable brands whose products and services are not sold online by the cosmetics retailer to present relevant offers and messages to the company’s guests at purchase.

The partnership is Rokt’s first entry into the beauty sector, and it will allow Ulta Beauty to access new revenue streams.

“We’re pleased to partner with Rokt to continue strengthening the power of our UB Media business while enhancing our overall guest experience,” says Brandi Pitts, SVP of Marketing and Media at Ulta Beauty.

“We’re committed to providing a personalized, elevated end-to-end experience for our guests, and this partnership will enable Ulta Beauty to build on that capability by delivering messages from premium brands and service providers whose offerings are tailored for each of our online guests.”

Ulta Beauty will be able to drive increases in app downloads, beauty services and reward program sign-ups while tapping incremental value by rewarding guests with tailored messages from non-endemic brand partners such as Hulu, PayPal and DoorDash.

“Huge” Boots beauty sales

Boots expects beauty gifting to be “huge” this year after identifying makeup, skin care and fragrance brands that will perform well this festive season. 

Online searches at the British retailer for makeup, hair care and skin care gift sets soared year-over-year, up 433%, 130% and 102%, respectively.

“With a packed program of deals running right up to Christmas Eve and our biggest ever Black Friday with over 22,000 lines on offer, customers will be able to do their Christmas shopping for less with Boots,” says Jenna Whittingham-Ward, head of Gift Transformation at Boots UK. 

Boots offers over 700 beauty gifts this year, including 46 new brands for Christmas. Brands such as The Inkey List and Laneige are predicted to be popular, and Bubble is expected to be a bestseller.

Scents will be “flying off the shelves” this holiday season, including Lovenotes by Ariana Grande, Valentino Born in Roma Green, Tom Ford’s Ombre Leather and Who is Elijah Nomad. More fragrance consultants will be available in Boots stores in preparation for Christmas.Shoppers will be looking for pheromone perfume this holidays according to Spate.

Superdrug’s “strong” growth

Superdrug also expects to perform well over the Christmas period. Its own-brand gift sets and fragrances are said to have seen “strong” growth, with consumers seeking “quality products at great value.”

The high street chain’s Studio London Brush Set is expected to sell out this year due to a new, limited-edition colorway. The retailer also expects its Studio London Mirror, Hair Styling Kit and Vanity Case to sell.

Superdrug introduced new Fruity Candyfloss gift sets, which launch with a limited-edition Body Mist.

Simon Comins, chief commercial officer at Superdrug, says: “This year, we expect our own-brand gifting collections to feature heavily among our best sellers as shoppers look for great quality gifts at great value. As an accessible retailer, we are committed to making Christmas more affordable to help shoppers make the most of their festive funds and treat their friends and family this Christmas.”

“At Superdrug, we have focused on offering quality and value to our shoppers, ensuring the beauty and health products we know our customers want are accessible for all budgets.”