“Phygital” experience the key to securing gen Z’s beauty spend

Generation Z (those aged between four and 24) prefer to research beauty products online and then purchase in a physical store or salon, according to research from The Pull Agency’s Future of Beauty report.

Beauty is an important category for gen Z, with 60% having purchased a beauty product by the time they are 14, and 52% of this demographic look to Instagram to find new beauty products.

“Technology is a key element and many younger consumers tend to be open to trying new solutions like voice search or augmented or virtual reality,” says Claire Rance, head of brand strategy at The Pull Agency.

In fact, gen Z spend around 10.6 hours per day consuming content and expect brands to provide personalised experiences both online and in store.

According to the report, the combination of bricks-and-mortar stores and digital technology (dubbed a “phygital” experience) will be key to engage this digitally savvy generation, which accounts for 33% of the UK population and has an annual spending power of £7 billion.

Unlike other generations, gen Z are less swayed by celebrities and instead look to social media influencers and product reviews before making a purchase. The factors that are most likely to impact their purchase decisions are whether the product is made from natural ingredients (58%), if it’s cruelty-free (51%) and if it uses recycled packaging (42%).