If we were to name any high street shop that epitomises British beauty, it’d have to be Boots. It’s been there since we first scoured the aisles with our mates and snuck Miss Sporty’s clear mascara past our teachers. And, as we’ve grown, it’s grown too, becoming more extensive, more inclusive, and bang on trend with under the radar sustainable brands like BYBI, groundbreaking beauty smash hits like Fenty and Huda and cult American exports, like Cerave, all of which were previously inaccessible on our high streets.
Now that we’re doing most of our shopping online, it’s giving us the goods there too, with over 170 skincare brands alone to choose from. But given 56% of beauty shoppers admitted they’re more likely to stick with brands and products they’ve tried before (according to a survey conducted by commerce platform, Nosto), we need to feel pretty confident that a product is up to standard if we’re going to branch out. One of the best tactics? Having a snoop at what everyone else is loving, and more specifically, buying.
So we asked Boots what they’ve spotted from our buying habits to work out what exactly it is that everyone wants. “We know our customers want value for money when it comes to skincare and this doesn’t always mean shopping on a budget,” says Boots Trading Director and VP of Beauty, Joanna Rogers. “Since the pandemic, customers have become more focused on investing in cost-effective products that are right for their skin type and deliver results.”
The whole beauty industry has seen our interest in skincare increase, but at Boots, active ingredients: retinol, salicylic acid, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and tea tree have seen the biggest spike in searches, with the face mask, moisturiser and cleanser category growing the fastest. Earlier this year, in July alone, the retailer saw a 459% surge in sales of CeraVe and Liz Earle’s Cleanse & Polish was selling at a rate of nine every hour. Even now, one of Pixi’s glycolic-infused Glow Tonics sells every minute on the site.
Encouraging, eh? So what else is getting the green light and winning the people’s vote?