Welcome to our detailed survey report that unveils the haircare preferences, routines, and purchasing behaviors of 589 consumers surveyed in early 2024. We delve into crucial aspects like product usage, factors driving new product adoption, and the significant impact of social media platforms in discovering haircare trends and products.
This report is packed with actionable insights that can help marketers and businesses understand the intricacies of consumer engagement in the haircare sector.
General facts
- 54% of consumers say their haircare routine is Highly involved
- Over half of consumers use heat protectant (66%), hair protector (63%), styling (65%), and hair treatment (56%) products
- 3 of 4 consumers (75%) are very interested in Adding a new haircare product to their routine
- Haircare Purchase Frequency: Monthly (44%), Every 2-3 months (41%), Less often (15%)
- 4 of 5 consumers consider Deep hydration (83%), Nourishes dry hair (81%), and Makes my hair look & feel soft (80%) to be very important benefits in a haircare product
- More than 2 of 3 consumers consider Combats breakage/split ends (77%), Restores & protects from heat (73%), and De-frizzes (68%) to be very important benefits
- TikTok content (71%) and Instagram content (66%) are the top ways consumers discover new haircare products, followed by Beauty blogs (30%) and Browsing in-store (30%)
- Instagram tends to be for Passive Discovery (44%), while TikTok (46%) and
YouTube (35%) lean towards Active Research - 71% of consumers need to see at least 3 pieces of content before making a purchase
- When browsing in-store, Reading labels of many different products (65%) is the primary discovery method, followed by Roaming the aisles and stumble upon something new (39%)
- 3 of 4 consumers (75%) Read product reviews as their next step after discovering a product they’re interested in before making a purchase; 2 of 3 consumers (60%)
Seek more social media content featuring the product; 45% Visit the brand’s website - 38% of consumers tend to Stick with products they know vs. experimenting with new products
- Biggest reasons for sticking with the same products are Afraid to waste money if product doesn’t work (45%), New product might damage my hair (27%), and Satisfied with current products (18%)
- 2 of 3 consumers (65%) will look for a promotion particularly when trying a new haircare product
- 70% of consumers have Adjusted their haircare purchasing habits in the past year due to inflation / the economy
- Biggest changes in purchasing habits include Looking for more coupons/deals when shopping (38%), Switching to a less expensive brand (28%), and Purchasing in bulk / larger sizes (18%)
Shoppers by retailer
Amazon
- Most minimal haircare routine (only 42% Highly involved)
- Purchase products least frequently (19% purchase every 4-6 months or less often)
- Most likely to be purchasing products in bulk / larger sizes (20%) due to the economy
- Likely to purchase Hair mousse (33%)
- Deep hydration (87%), Lightweight feel (68%), Removes grease (64%), and
Adds shine (64%) are especially important benefits - Purchase haircare products Online (73%)
- Discover new products through Brand Websites (27%) and Google Search (19%)
- Need to see at least 3 pieces of Content (71%) before making a purchase
- Rely on Instagram (86%), TikTok (83%), and Facebook (16%) content
- Tend to Read product reviews (77%) and Ask family/friends for recommendations (22%) as a next step after discovering a product they’re interested in
- Often willing to experiment with new products (45%)
- Purchase Pantene (20%), DevaCurl (19%), and Got2B (15%) brands
- Key reason shop here is they can Shop any time of day/night (41%) as well as
Better prices (37%), Fast Prime Shipping (35%), and Wide variety of products (34%)
Content Strategy Recommendation
Create content that reviews a product in a friendly/familiar tone. Cast a wide net across different social platforms. Catch the consumer at the moment they are looking to “stock up”. Create content geared towards shopping at odd hours (late night, etc.).
Walmart
- Fairly minimal beauty routine (only 51% Highly involved)
- Most frequent purchasers (51% Monthly+)
- De-frizzing (71%) and Removes grease (61%) are important benefits to them
- Most likely to buy Hair mousse (35%)
- Most likely to purchase products In-Store (68%)
- Discover new products through TikTok content (79%), Browsing in-store (44%),
YouTube content (40%), Facebook content (13%), TV/Streaming commercial (12%) - When browsing in-store, like to Read labels of many different products (70%),
Large selection of products (27%), Visual attraction of packaging (27%) - Only needs to see 1-2 pieces of content (32%) before making a purchase
- Rely on content across a wide variety of social platforms, however - Instagram (88%), TikTok (86%), YouTube (33%), Facebook (18%), Pinterest (18%)
- Started Shopping at less expensive stores (26%) - likely Walmart itself - and
Switching from name brand to Private Label (14%) due to inflation / the economy - Shop here because it has the Best prices (61%), it’s Convenient (59%), and they’re Shopping there for other items anyway (43%)
- Purchase L’oreal Paris (36%), Garnier (36%), Dove (35%), Aussie (33%),
Pantene (25%), OGX (18%), Got2B (18%)
Content strategy recommendation
These shoppers are fast and frequent decision makers and are driven by "traditional" ads and YouTube content - recommend content that plays out like a TV/ commercial - they're also driven by attractive Pack Visuals, so highlight those in content.
Target
- Purchase haircare products once every 2-3 months (42%)
- Least likely to be interested in adding a new product to their routine
(only 60% Very interested) - Tend to stick to products they know because they’re
Satisfied with their current products (25%) - De-frizzing (73%) is an important haircare product benefit for them;
LEAST interested in a product that Makes their hair look & feel soft (75%) - Likely to purchase Dry shampoo (52%)
- Discover new products through TikTok content (75%)
- LEAST driven by Product Reviews (14%)
- Especially Promotion-driven when trying something new (73%)
- Have started Looking for more coupons/deals when shopping (47%) and
Switching to less expensive brands (35%) due to inflation / the economy - Need to see at least 3 pieces of content (72%) before making a purchase
- Most rely on content from TikTok (84%)
- Tend to visit the brand’s website and look at product photos (21%) as a next step before making a purchase
- Shop here because it’s Convenient (65%),
Can shop without a store associate’s help (16%), and Shopping feels relaxed (11%) - Purchase Mielle Organics (33%) and Aussie (26%)
Content strategy recommendation
Largely satisfied with their current products so a new product needs to offer something exciting to entice them. TikTok content is where they discover new products. Very promotion-driven to try something new. Like to see Product Photos so make sure they get a good look at the product. Highlight promotions for new products especially. These shoppers are independent so give them the tools to make an informed purchase decision themselves.
Ulta
- Purchase haircare products once every 2-3 months (53%)
- Most likely to purchase Hair dye/colorant (37%) and Hair treatments (67%)
- Very interested in adding a new product to their routine (81%)
- Most concerned about Breakage (67%)
- Most likely to purchase products BOTH Online and In-Store (32%)
- Discover new products through TikTok content (76%), Instagram content (67%), Friend/family recommendations (28%), Browsing in-store (36%), and
Beauty blogs (35%) - Need to see at least 4 pieces of content (33%) before making a purchase
- Tend to use Instagram for Passive Discovery (49%) and
TikTok for Active Research (50%) - Always expect a Promotion when purchasing (22%)
- Most likely to Read product reviews (78%) as a next step when they discover a product they’re interested in
- Most likely to stick to products that they know (44%), primarily because they don’t want to waste money ($$$) on a product that won’t work (59%)
- Shop here because they have the Best loyalty program (47%) and it’s
Easy to find all the products they want (53%) - Purchase R+Co (15%)
Content Strategy Recommendation
Tend to stick to products they know because they don't want to waste money ($$), so content should convince them a product is a sound investment. Very promotion driven. Need to see a fair amount of content and use IG for Passive Discovery, TikTok for Active Research. Since these shoppers tend to rely on Beauty Blogs and Product Reviews, Content Creators should position themselves as a Credible Authority.
Sephora
- By far most likely to have a highly involved haircare routine (72%)
- Frequent purchasers (49% Monthly)
- Most likely to be interested in Adding a new product to their routine
(86% Very interested) - Most likely to purchase Hair protector (84%), Styling products (70%),
Dry shampoo (72%), and Hairspray (57%) - Along with Ulta shoppers, also very likely to purchase Hair treatments (66%)
and Hair dye (46%) - Makes my hair look & feel soft (88%), Restores & protects from heat (87%),
Adds shine (66%), and Lightweight feel (66%) are very important benefits to them - Other than Amazon shoppers, most likely to shop Online (52%) for Haircare products
- Discover new products from Instagram content (72%), Online reviews (28%),
Store emails (28%), Brand websites (27%), Browsing online retailer’s website (21%) - Most likely to need to see at least 5 pieces of content (31%) before making a purchase
- Tend to Read product reviews (77%), Look for more social media content (64%), and Visit the brand’s website to read the product description (64%) as next steps
- Willing to pay full price (24%) for a product they want
- Most likely to not have changed their shopping habits at all (47%) due to inflation / the economy
- Shop here because it’s Easy to find all the products they want (58%), Can test/sample products easily (24%), Feels luxurious (22%), and Attractive display/layout (21%)
- Purchase Olaplex (69%), OUAI (61%), amika (44%), Drybar (39%), Moroccanoil (36%), COLOR WOW (31%), Batiste (21%), Kitsch (17%)
Content Strategy Recommendation
Involved routine and most looking to add a new product so don't need to be convinced in that sense. Willing to pay full price. These shoppers seek out LOTS of Content, especially IG. These shoppers seem very plugged into the Retailer's ecosystem, so any way that content can align with that would be helpful. Soft hair, protecting hair, adds shine, and lightweight feel - these shoppers are interested in these extra benefits.
