A recent Meta GWI Beauty Report for 2023 highlights a notable shift in consumer behavior, with more than 80% of surveyed consumers in India favoring online purchases for beauty products. Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, lead beauty product searches for nine out of 10 consumers. Instagram Reels, a feature on Instagram, plays a crucial role in purchase decisions, with 47% of consumers discovering beauty products through this platform. Interestingly, one in three beauty consumers surveyed has made purchases directly through Instagram Reels.
The study, encompassing over 2,000 participants aged 6-64 across 74 cities in June, emphasizes the impact of COVID-19 on online shopping, particularly in the beauty and personal care sectors. Post-pandemic, 68% of beauty buyers now prefer online purchases, a significant 15% increase from pre-COVID levels. The wide reach of online marketplaces and the emergence of new brands have fueled demand for beauty products.Social media, especially Meta platforms, significantly influences consumer behavior, with 80% discovering beauty brands and 92% finding them on Meta platforms. Instagram Reels, in particular, plays a key role in this discovery process, influencing nearly one-third of survey respondents to make weekly online beauty product purchases.
Meghna Apparao, director for ecommerce and retail for Meta in India, notes the rapid growth of both beauty and fashion verticals on Meta. The study emphasizes the transformation of the purchase experience through social media, urging brands and marketers to engage with consumers differently, especially during festive and upcoming wedding seasons.
Meta’s dominance in the market is evident, with around 3.14 billion people using at least one Meta app daily in September. Social media platforms, with their bite-sized content, globally influence retail landscapes, and influencers on Meta’s apps significantly impact consumers’ purchase decisions.The study finds that consumer interest in content created by influencers has surged, with Indian consumers relying on local influencers for authentic information and reviews. Lack of reviews is highlighted as detrimental, emphasizing the importance of influencers in shaping consumer perceptions.
For fashion consumers, the study reveals that 76% discover fashion brands on social media, with 97% finding them through Meta platforms. Instagram Reels, again, plays a pivotal role, with 52% attributing their discovery to this feature, and 39% proceeding to purchase after finding brands on Reels. The findings underscore the growing influence of social media, particularly Meta platforms, on consumer preferences and purchasing decisions in India’s beauty and fashion markets.
