ChangeUp, a retail brand experience agency, has released Part Two of its Beauty Report series, which identifies gaps between industry priorities and consumer expectations regarding the in-store shopping experience. The report’s conclusions are based on a survey of over 1,600 US beauty shoppers, selected to represent a diverse cross-section of age, gender, race, region, and income.
Offering insights into how manufacturers and suppliers can support brand partners in developing retail environments that address these consumer needs, CosmeticsDesign spoke to Alexa Jewell Schaefer, Director of Strategy at ChangeUp, who provided further commentary on the implications of the findings for the cosmetics and personal care industry.
Shifting consumer loyalty toward value-system alignment
In her analysis of the report’s key takeaways, Schaefer identified a significant change in consumer loyalty from brand allegiance to alignment with personal values. For example, “83% of consumers have become more value-conscious, while 59% actively seek ‘dupes’—affordable alternatives to premium products,” she noted, adding that according to the data, loyalty now operates on multiple levels.
To best capture consumer loyalty, the report emphasized the importance of storytelling and transparency in cultivating brand trust. As Schaefer explained, “Ingredient transparency has become the new storytelling frontier,” noting that 71% of beauty shoppers always examine ingredient labels, and 69% maintain personal ingredient avoidance lists, according to survey results.
She therefore recommended that manufacturers and suppliers adopt what she characterized as science-backed narrative building, which could include the use of “clear, scannable ingredient hierarchies on packaging, QR codes linking to deeper ingredient education,” or collaboration with retailers to establish channels for ingredient education.
“Suppliers who master this transparency-first approach can help brand partners build trust through clarity rather than complexity,” she added.
The opposite of perfection
The report also examined how the rise of the “anti-perfection” movement has impacted beauty product development and marketing claims. Schaefer observed that this movement shifts the industry away from unrealistic beauty standards toward products that highlight natural features, rather than masking, blurring, or hiding perceived imperfections.
Noting that this trend encourages the creation of products that “celebrate natural aging while providing genuine benefits,” she advised that industry stakeholders consider pivoting from “anti-aging” language to “skin-supporting” messaging that “acknowledges and respects the natural aging process” to better align with current cultural shifts.
The consumer’s desire for empowerment
In its retail trend analysis, the report emphasized the need for physical stores to prioritize education and shopper autonomy over transactional experiences. For example, 92% of respondents expressed a desire for clear store layouts, 87% indicated a preference for a calm shopping environment, and 86% stated their need to locate products without assistance.
For manufacturers and suppliers, this suggests the need for “sampling experiences that are specific to differing customer needs,” as well as packaging that supports “self-directed discovery with clear benefit callouts and comparison-friendly information hierarchy,” Schaefer summarized.
She further recommended that digital tools “complement rather than complicate the shopping experience,” focusing on features like “ingredient scanners and benefit comparisons.”
Sustainability as an extension of personal wellness
Sustainability continues to influence consumer expectations, but the report emphasized its connection to personal wellness values rather than being treated solely as a corporate responsibility.
Given that given that 69% of respondents found beauty shopping overwhelming due to choice overload, the report confirmed, sustainability approaches with the greatest impact could include ingredient sourcing transparency, packaging designed to “serve product integrity rather than just shelf appeal,” and available options for refillable or modular product systems that align with the ‘mindful minimalism movement,’ Shafer illustrated.
Characterizing this approach as ‘wellness-forward sustainability,’ where “environmental responsibility enhances rather than compromises product efficacy,” she continued, brands can gain a competitive edge with consumers by authentically integrating sustainability as a core value proposition, rather than a marketing gimmick.
Future trends: Personalization, agility, and integrated wellness
Looking ahead, Schaefer indicated the beauty industry is moving toward a more “personalized and wellness-integrated future.” Driven by consumers expectations for products that provide genuine improvements rather than superficial change, she forecasted the rise of ‘ingredient intelligence,’ where consumers will expect personalization in the form of “real-time information about how specific formulations interact with their skin type, concerns, and existing routines.”
She also noted that manufacturers will need to become more agile and responsive, capable of producing “smaller batch runs and customized formulations based on actual consumer testing data” rather than relying solely on broad market assumptions.
In this evolving landscape, manufacturers will need to “think like wellness partners rather than beauty vendors,” she concluded, acknowledging that consumers view their beauty routines as “part of a broader approach to health and self-care that demands authenticity, efficacy, and genuine respect for their intelligence and autonomy.”