Beauty Buyers Beguiled by Amazon Deals

Consumers aren't just rushing to Sephora or Ulta Beauty to replenish their beauty essentials—they're also heading to a less obvious choice: Amazon. 

In fact, a recent Coresight Research survey, which polled 1,699 US internet users ages 18 and older in January 2018, found that beauty and personal care products was the second most shopped category among respondents on the ecommerce giant's site. Books—the company's first-ever product category—took the top spot.

What makes Amazon so alluring for beauty shoppers? Convenience, like free shipping, certainly plays a significant role. 

Prime members, who are likely taking advantage of the free shipping, are more likely to buy beauty and personal care items on Amazon than non-Prime members. Indeed, more than half of respondents who were Prime members said they purchased such items in the past year. By contrast, 16.9% of non-Prime members said they had done so. 

Cost is another key driver. Roughly 37% of total respondents said they typically save money when shopping for beauty items on Amazon. 

Across the board, regardless of age, respondents said that they usually try to save money when they shop for beauty products, whether that's by using coupons or special offers. 

Meanwhile, the survey found that younger consumers (those ages 18 to 29) were more likely to have bought beauty or personal care products on Amazon in the past 12 months than their older cohorts—but not by a lot. Overall, a good chunk of respondents across all age groups said they shopped for beauty products on Amazon within the past year.