PPB February 2021

Ce l ebr a t o r y Pr oduc t s practical purchases.” According to NPD’s annual holiday purchase intentions study for 2020, three in 10 holiday shoppers were planning to spend more than in 2019 because they had fewer expenses related to activities like dining out and travel. Forty percent of consumers also indicated that, as a result of COVID-19, they plan on buying more gifts to bring joy during challenging times. Although we are still urged to maintain a physical distance from others, our need and desire for face-to-face interaction has not waned. According to social media data evaluated by Kantar, a data and consulting company, people are most looking forward to a “night out/pub/drink with friends,” with a 3,000-percent increase in social media mentions fromMarch 24 to May 4, 2020. The data also showed that people are very much anticipating “live events/music/outdoor venues,” “travel” and “seeing loved ones, friends and family” after lockdowns. We may never officially go back to “normal,” but the pandemic’s impact on our sociability is only temporary. The weddings, barbecues, birthday parties and holiday events will begin once again—thankfully, it’s not a matter of “if,” but “when.” Prepare your clients with products and gifts perfect for every future celebration. Cheers To Me And You Consumers have embraced the concept of self-care and know that its practice can come in a variety of forms, including useful, soothing and accommodating products. Shoppers are looking to upgrade, seeking both innovation and familiar quarantine favorites to enhance their lives. It was splurge-spending on personal needs that drove 2020 holiday sales. According to The NPD Group, 40 percent of consumers planned to buy more gifts to bring joy during challenging times. “In this spirit of self-care and doing something good for ourselves,” says Larissa Jensen, NPD’s vice president and industry advisor on beauty, “consumers may be more inclined to self-gift this year, because won’t we all want to congratulate ourselves for making it to 2021? But even beyond the self-gift, self-care related gifts for others are an opportunity as well.” According to NPD’s Makeup Consumer Report, fewer women are wearing makeup today and the ones who are, are wearing it less often. Although makeup lost some market share in 2020, skincare has been the most resilient of the beauty categories. More women in the U.S. are using facial skincare products today compared to last year, according to new findings from The NPD Group’s 2020 Women’s Facial Skincare Consumer Report. Nearly 40 percent of facial skincare users have reported using their products more often and usage of basic care products, such as cleansers and moisturizers, and treatments including exfoliators/scrubs and masks, saw the most significant growth since 2019. Because of COVID-19, 22 percent of women changed their skincare routines. Many are washing or moisturizing their faces more often than in pre- pandemic times, while one-third have expanded their routine to include more products. The majority of those using more products intend to stick with their new routine even when things normalize. Self-care is a focus of almost every consumer and a habit many hope to maintain well after the pandemic. Every client can benefit from offering thoughtful self-care kits or innovative products that add to end users’ overall sense of well-being. nadianb / Shutterstock.com. 38 | FEBRUARY 2021 | GROW