Sharp Increase in Cosmetic Sales After Indoor Mask Mandate Lifted
Notable Growth in Makeup Products... Men's Products Also Rising
As the indoor mask mandate changed to a recommendation, the demand for beauty products such as cosmetics is increasing. On the 16th, citizens visiting a department store in Seoul are looking at cosmetics. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
During the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for cosmetics, which had been subdued due to mask-wearing, is rapidly increasing following the lifting of the indoor mask mandate. This is interpreted as a result of renewed interest in facial and overall appearance care as the so-called ‘no mask’ era begins in earnest.
According to the e-commerce industry on the 20th, from the 30th of last month, when the quarantine authorities lifted the indoor mask-wearing mandate, until the 14th of this month, SK Stoa’s online mall saw a 32% increase in total beauty category sales compared to the same period last year, with the color cosmetics category in particular increasing by 76%.
The product group showing the most remarkable sales growth is makeup products. During the same period, highlighter and shading products on Gmarket increased by 242% year-on-year, and eye makeup sets on 11st increased by 157%, showing triple-digit sales growth rates. On Lotte ON, sales of color makeup products also rose by 60%.
Makeup products, which had been a representative product group struggling due to reduced demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, are showing a rapid recovery in sales following the lifting of the mask mandate. A Gmarket official explained, “Since the mask mandate was lifted, sales of color makeup, base makeup, and cleansing products have noticeably increased. Sales of products used to reveal the face that was mostly covered by masks, such as highlighters and shadings that emphasize the jawline, lipsticks for lip color, and concealers for full-face coverage, surged sharply, and sales of cleansing products used to remove makeup also increased more than threefold.”
Basic cosmetics, which continued to sell steadily even during the mask mandate period, are also maintaining solid sales growth. SSG.com reported that sales of makeup bases and primers increased by 55% year-on-year, showing the highest growth rate, and foundation sales also rose by 40%.
Sales growth of men’s products is also notable. Since the launch and sales of men’s grooming products had been active even before COVID-19, the demand for men’s cosmetics naturally increased following the lifting of the mask mandate. Additionally, the recent demand for Valentine’s Day gifts also contributed to expanding the growth.
From the lifting of the mask mandate until the 14th, sales of men’s cosmetics on Lotte ON increased by 200% year-on-year. On 11st, sales of men’s cosmetic sets rose by 16%, with men’s BB cream showing a particularly outstanding sales growth rate of 70%. For men, sales of grooming products that help with appearance management also increased alongside cosmetics.
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