MAKEOVERS AT A CLICK

Virtual try-on tools, contactless in-salon services, and online consultations—this is ho Indian beauty industry has adapted to the pandemic, writes Sukriti Shahi

- Sukriti Shahi

The pandemic has crippled every industry across the globe. The devastation it has unleashed on businesses and on the job market is tremendous. Going by news reports, the pandemic-led lockdown has single-handedly marked the end of a number of small- and large-scale businesses. The ‘touch-centric’ beauty industry has also been grappling with the pandemic’s after-effects. With most retail stores and salons having been shut for over six months, the industry has now devised new ways to emerge stronger.

DIGITAL FIRST

While the lockdown cost many their businesses, it was also a time for brands to innovate. With retail outlets and salons showing radio silence, brands took the opportunity to explore virtual platforms. From digital product launches to virtual try-on tools, they started to follow the digital first approach. Interestingly, a segment of consumers indulged in revenge buying—a retail behaviour explained as ‘shopping started’ consumers indulging in online buying. This behaviour, coupled with more time on hand, gave the demand for personal grooming and at-home skincare products a push during the lockdown. As a result, many brands forayed into the digital space through several different tools and features.

VIRTUAL TRY-ON BEAUTY TOOLS

Shopping for beauty products is largely experience-based. As roaming the beauty aisles and swatching products seem like a distant dream, ‘experiencing a product’ has now gone virtual. For those who loved to swatch products to check the shade and pigment, these virtual try-on tools have come as a relief in the times of COVID-19.

FROM DIGITAL PRODUCT LAUNCHES TO VIRTUAL TRY-ON TOOLS, BRANDS STARTED TO FOLLOW THE DIGITAL-FIRST APPROACH.