The UK retail sector has been hit harder than expected due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The volume of retail sales slumped 5.1% in March due to the lockdown, according to market intelligence company S&P.
However, economists from Econoday estimated sales would only fall by 3.5%, said S&P.
Despite the results, at-home beauty tools topped online impressions and conversions among all consumer products from the week beginning 13 April.
This included hair scissors, hair curlers, manicure glue and nail art kits.
Meanwhile, nail polish sales surged almost 25% as consumers continued to follow the stay-at-home order.
But retailers, including beauty stores, are now planning for life post-lockdown after the British Retail Consortium (BRC) issued new guidance on how to implement government advice when the shutdown is eased.
While the BRC emphasised it is not yet clear when non-essential retailers will re-open for business, the report recommends limiting the number of customers in-store and encourages consumers to shop alone.