Health and beauty specialists saw strong current value growth in South Africa in 2024. Beauty specialist retailers continue to face intensified competition from department stores and health and personal care stores, which are leveraging their strong value chains to offer more diversified private label offerings. H&M, for example, introduced its own beauty line and Woolworths launched the WBeauty brand with a refillable make-up range, featuring eyeshadows, bronzers, powdered blushers, pressed pow

Value sales of beauty specialists Germany continued to recover in 2024, although growth was slower compared to the previous year. For many channel players, investing in an omnichannel presence and using new technologies remains an increasing focus. In June 2024, leading beauty specialist Parfümerie Douglas GmbH announced that it was designing an AI-powered beauty advisor chatbot. This innovation aims to enhance the consumer experience by offering personalised product recommendations, beauty tips

In 2024, beauty specialist retailers in Morocco continued to expand their footprint, driven by improving economic conditions and shifting consumer preferences. Demand for natural and organic beauty products has risen significantly, with many shoppers seeking formulations that include indigenous ingredients such as argan oil. Younger consumers, in particular, are increasingly turning to online platforms for their beauty purchases, prompting specialist retailers to enhance their omnichannel strate

Within health and beauty specialists in Mexico, pharmacies posted growth in terms of both revenue and outlet numbers in 2024. Major players such as Farmacias Guadalajara, Farmacias Similares, and Farmacias del Ahorro are examples of important expansion in the channel, with all of them growing their outlet networks substantially during 2024. This is helped by low operating costs and a focus on efficiency for each of the players, as well as the highly relevant nature of their product offerings. Pl

Health and beauty specialists saw strong and steady growth in current value terms in 2024. Sales were boosted by the prevailing health and wellness and fitness trends which continued to be fuelled by the growing popularity of social media. Influencers and marketing have helped to create a growing market for consumers who are looking to feel better and healthier while also looking younger, too. This focus has continued to fuel the growth and development of beauty specialists despite the decreasin

In 2024, beauty specialists in Nigeria faced significant headwinds due to rising inflation and the steep depreciation of the naira. These factors led to elevated prices for imported beauty products, dampening consumer spending. However, resilience in skincare, especially products with natural ingredients, helped cushion the impact. Consumers increasingly sought items with fewer harmful chemicals, such as those containing vitamins and botanical extracts. Despite competition from grocery retailers

Health and beauty specialists in India maintained growth in both outlet numbers and current value sales in 2024, with increases across all channels. Indian consumers, especially for relatively high-involvement beauty and personal care products such as colour cosmetics and skin care products, prefer to experience and try out such products physically, and ask for advice from experts in beauty specialists before making a purchasing decision. This is leading to a continued focus on an omnichannel ap

Health and beauty specialists in the United Arab Emirates continued to record solid value growth in 2024, driven by the rising popularity of health and wellness among various age groups. An increasing number of consumers are investing in their physical and mental wellbeing, leading to higher demand for functional products. Additionally, affluent shoppers are seeking science-backed, non-invasive solutions that can easily fit into their daily routines.

The devaluation of the Egyptian pound in 2024 led to higher pharmaceutical import costs, sparking widespread concern across the pharmacy sector. Many operators faced reduced profit margins, dual pricing dilemmas, and losses from expired stock. Attempts to secure low-interest loans proved insufficient, prompting government intervention in August 2024 through an EGP7 billion subsidy package. This included preferential financing for pharmaceutical firms to support medication production and safeguar

Beauty specialists in the UK experienced marginal value growth in 2024, supported by the resilience of premium beauty categories and the ongoing appeal of in-store experiences. Despite economic pressures, many local consumers continued to allocate discretionary income to their beauty routines. This “affordable luxury” mindset enabled beauty specialists to maintain modest growth, even as other discretionary categories faced greater challenges. While inflationary pressures impacted household budge

Health and beauty specialists saw strong growth in current value terms in 2024, albeit the category still saw a drop in terms of the number of outlets. While health and beauty specialists as a whole saw strong value growth in 2024 the performances varied between the different categories. Health and personal care stores and pharmacies were the most dynamic categories in current value terms, while optical goods stores also saw steady growth. These positive performances reflect the growing focus on

Health and beauty specialists saw current value growth in Ukraine in 2024. The channel demonstrated active development during the year, in particular through the introduction of innovative formats and the expansion of the product range. The Eva chain transformed its online platform, EVA.UA, into a marketplace, attracting third-party sellers to increase product selection and meet evolving and diversifying consumer needs. This approach has significantly expanded the product assortment, which has a

Health and beauty specialists in the Czech Republic saw further growth in retail current value sales and outlets in 2024. All categories recorded slight increases in outlet numbers, while beauty specialists posted by far the highest retail current value growth. Beauty specialists continued to develop strongly, following double-digit retail current value growth in the previous two years. In 2022 and 2023, dynamic category growth was fostered by price hikes and robust post-COVID-19 pandemic intere

Since 2023, the trend of returning to physical stores has continued in Japan, and despite rising prices, health and beauty specialists focusing on groceries, daily necessities, and beauty and personal care products have thrived. However, the traditional segmentation of sales channels, whereby department stores offered premium beauty brands, while health and beauty specialists and variety stores catered to mass brands, has become increasingly ambiguous. Retailers are now strengthening their strat

In 2024, health and beauty specialists in Slovakia recorded retail value growth of 4%. Price promotions and discounts played a significant role in driving sales. Price-sensitivity impacted consumer buying habits, as shoppers increasingly opted for more affordable products, reaching for premium brands when reasonable discounts were in place. For example, the popularity of generic drugs surged in 2024 because these items are more affordable than their branded counterparts, while containing the sam

Health and beauty specialists in South Korea saw solid current value growth in 2024, along with slight growth in outlet numbers. One factor driving sales was that sales saw a significant rise in the first quarter of 2024, driven by a surge in tourist traffic. Major shopping districts such as Myeongdong and Hongdae saw notable sales growth, with Myeongdong’s stores reporting a significant increase in sales to tourists, and Hongdae also seeing a noticeable uptick. Skin care products and face masks

Beauty specialists in Australia recorded further dynamic growth in 2024, following a strong performance in 2022 and 2023. One of the ways in which beauty specialists has maintained growth during an economic downturn is through an established phenomenon called the “lipstick effect”, which involves consumers prioritising smaller indulgences when big-ticket items are unaffordable due to limited discretionary income. Increased foot traffic in the last two years of the review period also contributed

Health and beauty specialist retailers in Singapore saw value sales rise in 2024. Players recognise that consumers move fluidly between physical and digital channels, especially when shopping for experiential products such as perfume. These retailers are thus pursuing an omnichannel presence to meet the evolving habits of local shoppers and strengthen their ability to deliver seamless and engaging retail experiences. For many Singaporean consumers, being able to test scents, examine product form

Health and beauty specialists registered current value growth in Indonesia in 2024. The category also saw a slight rise in outlet numbers during the year. The expansion in the store network was driven by pharmacies, as both beauty specialists and optical goods stores saw numbers stagnate, while health and personal care stores witnessed a decline in its number of outlets. Health and beauty specialists continued to face growing competition from retail e-commerce at the end of the review period. Re

Beauty specialist retailers in Saudi Arabia is becoming increasingly competitive as younger generations are more open to trying new brands. As trends like wellness, sustainability, and skinification emerge, retailers are adjusting their product mixes to meet evolving consumer demands. For example, Flormar has revamped its product lines to include sun protection and hydration in its makeup, appealing to a broader and more discerning audience. Additionally, there is a growing demand for locally so

Despite further value growth in 2024, health and beauty specialists in Hong Kong experienced a mixed performance among the different categories. Following impressive double-digit growth the previous year, beauty specialists recorded the weakest performance in 2024 with a 4% value decline as consumers spent less on perceived non-essential beauty products in an unstable economy.

Although consumer spending has been limited in many product categories, beauty retailing bucked the downward trend and witnessed retail value growth in 2024. This trend was partly driven by price, but also due to the evergreen demand for beauty products. During economic downturns when consumers have less money to spend, they become more inclined to spend on smaller items or treats in place of more expensive discretionary purchases. This so-called ‘lipstick effect’ has supported growth in recent

In 2024, health and beauty specialist retailers in Vietnam continued to post solid growth in value sales and outlet numbers. This momentum is being propelled by a surge in both inbound and local tourism. Many international travellers now prioritise buying health and beauty items during their trips, particularly in popular tourist destinations and major cities, thereby contributing to the channel’s positive results.

Health and beauty specialists maintained small positive value growth in Portugal in 2024. This is attributed to the beauty industry remaining relatively resilient to economic uncertainties, as consumers are noted to be more inclined towards feel-good spending over spending on products per se. Within the different styles of outlets in health and beauty specialists, health and personal care stores is seeing the strongest value growth (in double figures), followed by beauty specialists, whereas pha