Consumers are passionate about pink and sold on sheet masks, finds John Lewis

John Lewis' Retail Report reveals how sheet masks, superfoods and all things millennial pink have been exciting consumers in 2017

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This has been the year of millennial pink, sheet masks and superfood skin care.

The colours and top trends of 2017 are revealed in John Lewis' Retail Report, in which the UK department store identified what’s hot and what’s not.

The millennial pink obsession has driven sales for MAC’s Velvet Teddy, a very close match to the rose blush shade, with John Lewis reporting the bestseller as one of the ten ‘products that defined the year’.

It’s a similar story with the sheet mask, also named a defining product of 2017, with social media driving sales.

Celebrities including Victoria Beckham, Emma Stone, Drew Barrymore and Jessica Chastain all starred in a #sheetmaskselfie.

The hashtag resulted in the item becoming one of John Lewis’ bestsellers, with the Estée Lauder Powerfoil mask seeing a 123% sales increase on last year.

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The scent of sophistication

Now in its fifth year, John Lewis’s annual take of the shopper’s pulse also noticed that beauty habits are more sophisticated than ever before.

In recognition of this, the retailer invested £9m refurbishing some of its key beauty halls across the country in 2016, and introduced Charlotte Tilbury into eight additional stores and MAC into six new locations.

Smelling like luxury is now on the agenda, with a surge of consumers wanting to upgrade to premium perfumes.

Sales of high end fragrances are up over 35% compared to last year, with Chanel, Creed, Tom Ford and Hermes among the most sought after options.

The spike in sales has been compared to that of the ‘lipstick effect’: the theory that when facing an economic crisis consumers will be more willing to buy less costly luxury goods.

Instead of buying expensive fur coats, for example, people will buy expensive lipstick as a treat for themselves.

For men, it’s no secret that beards are more popular than ever, with the retailer reporting that in 2013 the trend was just gaining popularity and now John Lewis stocks more than 20 beard care products.

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Sensational superfoods

Cranberries, turmeric, broccoli and avocado are now superfoods not only popular on plates and smoothies, but in skin care too.

• Elemis’ Superfood Facial Oil, which contains broccoli, flax seed and radish, was the retailer’s second best selling seasonal launch
• Origins' Charcoal Mask is designed to clear pores. It has increased in sales 11% compared to last year
• The star ingredient of the newly launched Clarins Double Serum is turmeric, which is known for its anti-ageing properties
• The Jo Malone Pomegranate scent features pomegranate, raspberry and plum juices. It saw a 65% increase in sales this year
• Among John Lewis’ best selling sheet masks, the Origins GinZing mask contains coffee beans and ginseng to boost energy levels as well as skin’s moisture
• Kiehl’s Olive Fruit Oil shampoo and conditioner blends avocado oil with lemon extract and olive fruit oil for healthy, lustrous locks. It saw a 34% increase in sales
• Liz Earle Superskin Eye Cream, which contains rosehip and cranberry seed oils, is among John Lewis’ top 20 bestsellers.

Companies

• L'Oreal
• Estée Lauder Companies
• Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy
• Liz Earle
• Chanel
• Jo Malone
• Elemis
• John Lewis
• Charlotte Tilbury