The results of the recent Adorebeauty.com.au Budgeting for Beauty Survey are in, and Australian beauty lovers would rather have DIY salon treatments at home than compromise on the products they use.
Adorebeauty.com.au founder Kate Morris explains the survey, saying: “We know our customers are as excited by skincare and cosmetics as we are, but we wanted to find out what would happen when times got tough. Would people skip a fancy meal out so they could buy their favourite cleanser? Would they colour their hair at home rather than go to a junior hairdresser? Would they do their own waxing or switch to a cheaper brand of makeup? We found out that continuing to use their favourite brands of skincare and cosmetics is very important.”
Surprisingly, over 53% of all respondents identified Salon Treatments as one of the key areas to cut back on, before spending on skincare and cosmetics, closely followed by spending on eating out and large household purchases.
Some of the smaller more personal purchases such as shoes, clothing and chocolate proved more resilient, featuring further down the list. Not surprisingly, family remained a high priority, with less than 10% of respondents saying they would consider cutting back spending on their children.
When asked to nominate individual areas of beauty and personal grooming spending to cut back on, 33% of people would cut back on manicures and pedicures first, with only 12% giving up on salon facials. A further 12% said they would continue getting the same salon treatments but go longer between visits.
Kate Morris, founder of Adorebeauty.com.au explains: “Customers see it as more of an option to do their nails, waxing and hair colouring at home when the budget is tight, rather than to do a home facial. I think it demonstrates how highly customers value taking care of their skin and highlights a key area for salons to focus on when times get tough.”
Overwhelmingly, brand choice proved the most resilient to an economic downturn, with respondents least likely to change their personal grooming products for cheaper alternatives. Less than 6% of respondents said they were willing to switch to cheaper brands of haircare, makeup and skincare respectively.
“While the personal touch and relationship at a salon can be very important, customers clearly value the products that suit their skin type and tone more highly,” comments Morris. “It can take so long for customers to find the products that are right for them that they really don't want to move to cheaper alternatives unless they absolutely have to.”
Visit www.adorebeauty.com.au to find out more.