The focal point for any beauty retailer this time of year, online or in-store, is the gift set, and bath and body care items remain festive favourites with shoppers.
Two in three UK adults have bought beauty and personal care gifts as a Christmas gift, according to Mintel, and, boosted by deals and half price offers, gift sets are likely to hold particular appeal this holiday season for present buyers on a budget.
But the savvy shopper isn’t only concerned with affordability: consumers are questioning the amount of waste generated by the products they buy and receive, with excessive packaging and surplus or unnecessary gifts turning the experience from festive to infuriating.
In fact, according to the British Beauty Council’s Courage To Change report, 91% of consumers say they want less packaging. “With all eyes on sustainability, excess packaging and low-quality products used to pad out BPC gift sets are increasingly met with distain,” says Mintel in its UK Gifting in Beauty & Personal Care Market Report, 2022.
As a result, brands need to reimagine the gift set in order to offer a less wasteful concept both in terms of packaging, and ensuring that the included products only add value to the offer.