Xin Ou
Research expert covering Greater China
Gen Z online beauty shoppers - statistics & facts
Generation Z is the latest generation of consumers, whose numbers make up around a quarter of the world's population. This is an extremely digitally savvy demographic that is perfectly comfortable shopping online, as well as an age group that grew up watching social media beauty gurus and skincare influencers. These teens and young adults prefer to purchase beauty products online over traditional retail establishments. According to a recent global survey, more than one-third of global Gen Z shoppers engage in beauty e-commerce, and beauty products are the generation's fourth-most purchased products online.
TikTok is currently Gen Z’s most prominent platform for discovering beauty products, as nearly 40 percent of consumers in the United Kingdom and the United States go to the app for inspiration. The platform makes it easy to find product reviews, how-to videos, and viral beauty products. However, in light of the looming TikTok ban in the United States, the platform could lose its top spot. In lieu of TikTok, Gen Z consumers have reported that they would switch over to Instagram or YouTube for finding beauty products if this prohibition was to take place.
Social media has a significant impact on the beauty buying habits of Gen Z, whether it is discovering trending products or engaging in communities of makeup lovers. Knowing this generation's online behavior is crucial as their purchasing power grows rapidly.
The influence of social media
Gen Z devotes the most time to social media platforms compared to any other generation, thereby rendering them more susceptible to online advertisements and influencer marketing. Thanks to these platforms the pace of makeup trends is increasing faster than ever before, resulting in a fervent audience that follows suit and unzips their wallets. A recent survey found that around 83 percent of Gen Z women bought beauty products online because content creators recommended them.TikTok is currently Gen Z’s most prominent platform for discovering beauty products, as nearly 40 percent of consumers in the United Kingdom and the United States go to the app for inspiration. The platform makes it easy to find product reviews, how-to videos, and viral beauty products. However, in light of the looming TikTok ban in the United States, the platform could lose its top spot. In lieu of TikTok, Gen Z consumers have reported that they would switch over to Instagram or YouTube for finding beauty products if this prohibition was to take place.
The online beauty journey of Gen Z
According to a global 2024 survey, Polish Gen Z shoppers purchase the most cosmetics and body care items online, with two-fifths of them doing so. In comparison, in the United States, nearly a quarter of zoomers bought beauty items via the internet. When taking a closer look at the online purchasing habits of American Gen Zers, large online retailers, like Amazon or Walmart, are the most used sites for buying beauty products. Specialty beauty websites, such as sephora.com and ulta.com, were the second most popular choice, followed by going to a brand's website, like glossier.com. Gen Z heavily relies on user-generated content when deciding to purchase beauty articles, considering customer ratings and reviews to be the most influential purchasing factors, followed by photos and videos. For these self-care devotees, the most common monthly online expenditure for beauty ranges from 51 to 100 U.S. dollars.Social media has a significant impact on the beauty buying habits of Gen Z, whether it is discovering trending products or engaging in communities of makeup lovers. Knowing this generation's online behavior is crucial as their purchasing power grows rapidly.
