Female baby boomers look to web for cosmetics

Mintel's recent Beauty Retailing report found the female baby boomer population is becoming increasingly web-savvy and more could be spending their digital dollars at online beauty sites if retailers play their cards right.

by Helen Leggatt

One in 10 respondents to a recent Mintel survey used some type of online retailer to purchase cosmetics and skin care aids, and the female boomer population is expected to increase by 30.9% by 2015.

"Female baby boomers are one of the largest beauty care segments, known for their spending power, proactive health habits and dedication to product research," said Kat Fay, senior analyst at Mintel. "In fact, these women spend 13 or more hours online a week making the online market a powerful resource if retailers can get boomers to log on."

One reason many women go online to shop may be down to many (47%) citing their preference to shop for cosmetics on their own to give themselves plenty of time to browse.

When looking purely at online sales, 8% of those surveyed visit mass merchandiser sites for beauty products, 8% order from Wal-Mart.com, 8% order from Target.com, 5% patronize drugstore sites like CVS or Walgreens, and 8% visit other unnamed online retailers.