NPD Group: Online beauty product purchases see gain

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. The Internet is the only retail channel to post a slight increase in beauty product purchases, according to market research firm The NPD Group, as more women enjoy the ease and product availability of shopping online.

According to a report by NPD, the Web gained one percentage point and was the only retail channel to experience an increase in the number of women who reported mentions for beauty products. The average annual beauty spending per woman was $86 for this channel.

The report also found that those women who spent more on the Internet also reported that they bought more beauty products in general and that they started buying more expensive brands and products than in the previous year.

Higher gas prices were also a factor as more consumers opted to shop online instead of driving to a store.

Beauty mavens also turn to the Internet to research brands and products.

About 2-in-3 Internet shoppers who shopped for beauty online, but did not make a purchase, said they use the Internet to gather information and make price comparisons through different Web sites.

For the study, a nationally representative sample of females ages 18 to 64 were selected from NPD's Online Panel during Nov. 20 and 26, 2008.