Asian, Pacific Islander shoppers seek pricier products

When buying personal care products, those items that have a higher price tag are likely to be perceived by Asian or Pacific Islanders as being more effective compared with less expensive items, according to market research firm Mintel.

According to Mintel’s report, “The Personal Care Consumer,” published in September, this consumer group is more likely to report that higher-priced beauty and personal care products work better than less expensive ones when compared with individuals of other ethnicities — almost double the level of agreement from white respondents. They also are highly likely to agree that branded products are better quality compared with private label.

Mintel’s research also found that Asian or Pacific Islander shoppers are more likely to splurge on themselves when it comes to buying beauty and personal care products. Furthermore, this group is more likely to be influenced by recommendations from family and friends (66%) as well as recommendations from professionals (53%) and magazines (43%).

“It appears this group is interested in getting advice from other sources and [that] using messaging that cites recommendations from different groups in ads may be effective. As a group willing to pay more for quality, likely to splurge on themselves on beauty and personal care products, and interested in recommendations, Asians and Pacific Islanders prove themselves to be highly invested in this category and an important target market for brands,” Mintel stated in the research report.

To effectively reach this consumer group, researchers suggest that brands consider finding ways to connect friends and families by offering promotions in which individuals can get a discount when they buy a product for a friend or family member.

The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Ethnic Beauty Buy-In Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.