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Keeping an eye on trends is pivotal for businesses to stay ahead of their competition. Paying attention to past seasonal trends, as well as what is currently happening around you and what you’re personally experiencing is a good place to start.
During the pandemic, most of us experienced the introduction of Zoom, Teams and Google Meet becoming part of our everyday working lives, but the sudden rise in video calls and meetings has meant we have spent hours staring at ourselves on screen.
Poor lighting and skewed laptop camera angles are rarely flattering and have led to what the beauty and cosmetic industry is dubbing a “Zoom boom”. These industries have seen a surge in sales, enquiries and bookings since the pandemic began, with many people having time to self-reflect and take the opportunity to emerge from lockdown as the best version of themselves.
Combine this with the fact many people have unexpected money to spend after their holidays were cancelled and refunded, it doesn’t look as though the rise of self-care and improvement is slowing down any time soon…
Cosmetic dentistry
The demand for cosmetic dental procedures has increased significantly since March 2020. Treatments such as teeth whitening, teeth straightening, veneers and crowns are proving popular as people look to improve their smile.
While we might still be wearing masks in certain settings for a while longer, meeting friends and family in real life again and being able to visit restaurants and bars without wearing masks will mean people’s smiles will be up close and personal, so this is a great time for the dentistry industry to capitalise on this self-improvement trend.
Non-surgical cosmetic procedures
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) says its doctors were reporting up to 70 per cent increases in requests for virtual consultations during the pandemic for both surgical and non-surgical procedures.
The most popular treatments were injectables such as Botox and fillers as well as skin resurfacing. But there’s also been a surge in demand for ‘neck rejuvenation’ and ‘jawline contouring’ as people spend more time looking down into their computer’s camera.
Since lockdown restrictions started to ease in the UK, there was a 143 per cent increase in searches for Botox and a 117 per cent increase in searches for lip fillers in just one week in early April and this trend continues.
Hair care
Whilst women account for the majority of cosmetic procedures, men have been focusing on their hair, leading to an increase in requests for hair transplants. One clinic in London reported a 40 per cent increase compared to the previous year, as people made the most of being able to recover at home in private without the pressures of in-person social commitments.
More broadly, haircare in general was one of the best-performing categories in the beauty industry with people finding DIY solutions to cut, style and pamper their hair while salons were closed. Whilst it’s expected that DIY-solutions won’t remain the norm now salons are back open, it is expected that people are willing to spend more on their hair – with research showing that Brits are set to spend £6.46bn on hair and beauty treatments in the next six months.
Skincare
Lockdown gave people more time to focus on their skincare routine which led to sales of premium skincare products rising. Many people, women in particular, focused on this as part of their evening wind-down and self-care routine, helping to alleviate stress and allowing them to turn-off after work before they go to bed.
Post-lockdown it’s expected that this new-found focus and good skincare habits picked up during lockdown will continue and we’ll see a long-term shift towards wellness and pampering, whether that be at home or in a spa or salon.
People have had time to focus on themselves and lockdown has provided them with more time to think about and research treatments. The continuation of working from home also provides the downtime people might need after procedures, so when they come to face the world again, they’ll be ready to dazzle.
For suppliers within these industries, it’s a pivotal time to capitalise on these trends. Many of these treats won’t come cheap, so providing your customers with easy ways to pay and an interest-free credit option so they can spread the cost will help you increase your sales and set you apart from the competition.
