Fifty-five percent of U.S. shoppers spend between $51 and $200 each month, according to new consumer data from PowerReviews. A further 21% spend $201-500, while 8% spend $500 or more.
Notably, there was a collective 17% rise in shoppers spending $101 per month and above, compared to 2022.
Who were the survey respondents?
PowerReviews surveyed 26,340 U.S. consumers in May 2023; respondents, broken down by generation are as follow:
- Gen Z (1997-present) 10%
- millennials (1981-1996) 57%
- Gen X (1965-1980) 27%
- baby boomers (1946-1964) 6%
A booming U.S. beauty market
The survey was released just as Circana reported that U.S. prestige beauty industry sales totaled $14 billion in the first half of 2023, a 15% increase versus the same period in 2022. This is roughly in line with the 16% growth witnessed in Q1.
Mass beauty sales grew at half that pace, 9%, in the first half, totaling $28 billion. That, too, is roughly in line with the 10% growth rate of Q1.
What shoppers are buying/spending
Ninety-six percent of PowerReviews' survey respondents are buying skin care, 94% are buying makeup, 90% are buying bath and shower products, 88% are buying body care, 78% are buying fragrance products, and 66% are buying nail care products.
For both skin care and makeup, 69% of shoppers are spending in the $1-100 range, while 62% and 61%, respectively, are spending $1-50 on bath and shower and body care products.
Sixty-two percent of shoppers are spending $1-50 on nail products each month, while 37% are spending the same amount on fragrance.
Open to new products/brands
According to PowerReviews, 96% of consumers said they were at least somewhat likely to also purchase a new product when buying a familiar product. That includes 47% who said they were very likely to do so.
Reviews matter
Whether shopping online or in-store, reviews matter. Per the survey results, 77% of beauty shoppers say that the average star rating of a product is key to their purchasing decision.
A similar amount are motivated by review volume and written commentary; 60% are motivated by review recency.
