Pure Beauty

Beauty e-tailers enjoy 7.3% sales boost, while physical stores trail behind

By Becky Bargh | Published: 6-Sep-2018

Barclaycard data shows online beauty sales grew 7.3%, although in-store sales declined 1%

UK cosmetics retailers enjoyed a sales spike of 3.1% year-on-year during August, according to recent Barclaycard figures.

While online beauty sales generated the biggest upturn with 7.3% growth, in-store sales suffered, down 1%.

The figures reflect the challenging bricks-and-mortar environment; department store sales also suffered down 2.8% overall, and 5.7% in-store.

However, once again, online sales were the saving grace, with department store e-commerce sales up 8.9%.

Across categories, data showed that non-essential expenditure experienced growth of 3.4%, with the trend of spending on experiences continuing.

Barclaycard’s Director Esme Harwood said: “Brits have been feeling confident enough in their spending power to enjoy summer events out.

“However, it’s clear they’ve struck a balance between spending on essentials and treating themselves.”

The sales success throughout the summer, which was unusually hot in the UK this year, could cause shoppers to become stricter with their spending in the run up to Christmas.

Barclaycard found that 44% of shoppers claim they will cut down on treats for themselves in order to save, while 39% say they will cut down on entertainment expenditures including eating out at restaurants.

Harwood added: “Looking ahead, it appears that many consumers are planning to tighten their belts and keep a closer eye on their finances after spending more than usual over summer.”

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