2020 is the year of e-commerce and Prime Day will see the largest interest ever – especially for personal care and beauty sector, says GlobalData

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Consumers are purchasing more products online during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Amazon’s Prime Day promotion on October 13–14 is perfectly positioned to capitalize on this—likely seeing its largest sales ever. Convenience and savings are a high priority in personal care and beauty, and this sector will see substantial e-commerce traction on Prime Day, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.  

Ryan Whittaker, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData explains: “As consumers have been furloughed or working from home, there has naturally been a huge drop in brick-and-mortar store sales – certainly outside of supermarkets – and many companies have opened up online sales. Many categories have expanded in the e-commerce channel during the pandemic, including personal care and beauty, as consumers avoid infection and seek convenience. In fact, GlobalData’s latest research* suggests that 46% of global consumers now intend to buy more online rather than visiting a store following the pandemic.”

Since Prime Day’s debut in 2015, the promotion has grown in scale and spectacle. In 2019, Amazon reported that consumers bought more than 1.75 million items during Prime Day promotions, including over 350,000 luxury beauty products. In 2020, Amazon opted to postpone the promotion from its usual July 15 date, to mid-October. 

Whittaker continues: “From a consumer perspective, I would predict an uptick in online interest in personal care and beauty products. These did well on Prime Day last year, and GlobalData’s research has shown 32%** of global consumers are buying these more frequently online than before the pandemic.”

Despite an uncertain economy, consumers are expected to continue to spend heavily on e-commerce and actively seek deals on the cusp of the holiday season. The pandemic has been disruptive to consumers, supply chains and retailers, and consumer demand is fluctuating wildly. Postponing Prime Day was a sensible decision and has allowed personal healthcare and beauty consumers to adapt to a new digital lifestyle, which will ultimately benefit Amazon.

*GlobalData’s COVID-19 Recovery Tracker, 21st September 2020** GlobalData’s COVID-19 Recovery Tracker, 21st September 2020, combining answers “I am buying significantly more of this product than before at this location”; “I am buying slightly more of this product than before at this location”; “I am stockpiling/buying in bulk”; “I have never bought this product at this location but have started doing so now”

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