In a world where shoppers are increasingly online, retailers are trying harder than ever to follow (and capture) the money.
Whereas dollars used to be spent largely at major shopping malls, and mostly on the weekends, customers now have the option to shop from home whenever they want.
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That means the shopping experience is a lot easier, and customers tend to make one-off purchases more frequently than they would have years ago.
It also means retailers are now more at odds with each other, since customers can be reached anywhere at any time of the day.
A loyalty credit card from a major mall retailer used to be considered a major benefit. Today, companies must sweeten their deals further.
Things like lightning-fast shipping, seamless and extended return and exchange options, exclusive perks or bonuses attached to a membership — like access to streaming subscriptions or savings on gas and other staples — and cash back based on loyalty purchases have now become commonplace.
Retailers double down on growing trend
And for the companies that still maintain a brick-and-mortar presence, tempting shoppers through the door has become a puzzle that must be solved.
Large retailers like Target (TGT) , for example, have begun implementing an in-store-shopping experience. More than 250 Target locations in the U.S. are slated to add in Ulta (ULTA) beauty shops, featuring both pricey and budget-friendly cosmetics, fragrances, personal-care products and, of course, lots of samples to try out.
It isn't just Target that wants a piece of the beauty pie, which remains one of the top retail-space performers thanks to its highly tactile shopping experience and lightning-quick trends.
Walmart (WMT) has also been pouring time and resources into the cosmetics industry. It's been rapidly adding both premium and affordable brands to its repertoire — some of them exclusive partnerships — and it said in April that it would host a Kickstarter campaign in search of the next big beauty brand.
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- Amazon launches genius new subscription product
Amazon launches new beauty sale
And it's not just the brick-and-mortar giants getting in on the action. Amazon (AMZN) said on Monday that it would host a blowout sale known as the Amazon Summer Beauty Haul, which will run from May 13-19 and see both premium and affordable brands on sale.
Customers who choose to shop the week-long sale will receive a promotional credit of $10 when they spend $50 or more on beauty products shipped and sold by Amazon. That $10 credit will automatically be added to their carts on qualifying purchases.
The $10 credit will be emailed to customers within 24 hours of an order shipment. It may be used toward a future beauty or premium-beauty purchase on items shipped and sold by Amazon.
Some of the brands featured in the sale include:
- Clinique
- St. Tropez
- Revlon
- Well People
- La Roche Posay
- CeraVe
- Laneige
- Maybelline
- E.l.f.
In March, Amazon announced it was adding Clinique, an upscale skincare company owned by Estée Lauder, to its storefront.
The partnership includes an interactive Clinique Skin Analysis Tool, which was created specifically for its Amazon launch. The tool enables customers to answer several questions about their skin types and concerns and recommends products based on their individual needs.
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