Beauty is a business. The global beauty and cosmetics industry was valued at USD 532.43 billion in 2017, according to Reuters; with year-over-year growth, the market is only growing. Cosmetics sales especially jump around the holiday season, spurred on by nationwide shopping events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas sales. For example, cosmetic kit sales increase nearly three times more than average during the week before Christmas through the week after Christmas, according to Tabs Analytics.
Many cosmetic brands typically release special holiday-themed collections or products around this time to capitalize on increased spending. However, a recent trend has been on the rise with brands releasing so-called “holiday” collections earlier and earlier, with some collections even releasing in late September or early October.
For example, the Too Faced Holiday collection dropped on September 20th, despite its snowman, gingerbread, and Christmas tree theme. The collection even included tree ornaments, despite Christmas being over 3 months away.
In fact, the Too Faces pumpkin and fall collection released after the Christmas collection.
Prestige or legacy brands such as Lancome have hopped on this trend as well, with Lancome’s holiday collection having released on September 30th. Kiehl’s and Beautyblender have also already released holiday products and ornament gift sets.
Ofra Cosmetics
– October 7th –
Pat McGrath
– October 10th –
Fenty Beauty
– October 11th –
Kylie Cosmetics
– October 13th –
Patrick Ta
– October 16th –
Whether it’s to allow customers to get their hands on products early or just a money grab, the early releases of holiday collections is a pattern worth noting. In fact, this trend is mirrored in other industries as well. For example, Starbucks’ iconic pumpkin spice latte was originally released on October 10th in 2003, but release dates have crept earlier and earlier: the PSL began to be poured on August 27th this year, according to MarketWatch.
Coffee is always in season, and prices tend not to fluctuate throughout the year. However, without the incentive of traditional holiday discounts and sales, it might be unlikely that consumers will purchase new makeup products so early in the season. Why buy a new palette in October when you know that Black Friday is just around the corner? Customers with this mindset might end up compiling a wishlist and waiting for the true holiday season to kick in anyway before buying. What do you have your eyes on this season?
Vivid Cosmetics 