Drawing teens to cosmetics

Drug Store News, March 1, 1993

What makes a teenage girl buy cosmetics once she is in the store?

Well, having a chance to try the product and deciding whether she likes it makes a big impression.

According to a recent 'TEEN maqazine survey, 59 percent of girls 12-15 said that trying the product and liking it strongly influenced their decision to buy.

Contrary to some adults' expectations, price also counts with teens. Fifty percent of the 12-15 girls that 'TEEN surveyed reported that when it comes to buying a cosmetic product, price is a major consideration. One-third, 36 percent, of all girls 12-15 also say that it's he brand name that attracts them.

The story doesn't change much when it comes to older teens. Among 16 to 19 year olds, 59 percent said actual usage motivated their decision to repurchase, while 58 percent said it was the product's price that influenced them. Twenty-six percent said it was the brand name that attracted them.

Buying made easy

Once a teenager is in a store, little courtesies that make it easy for her to shop matter a lot.

For example, 'TEEN found that 26 percent of girls between 12 and 15 say that he availability of product testers influenced their decision to purchase cosmetics. Twenty-four percent said being able to try or sample a product also made a big difference, while 22 percent said they were helped by attractive and informative in-store signage.

Just 11 percent said they were influenced by salespeople in the store, and this could indicate a real area of opportunity for drug chains.

Many teens who shop drug stores says sales people seem suspicious or even hostile. One of the teens in our Market Basket Study reported that the salespeople in the drug store she shopped "looked at me like I was weird" and made her feel "really nervous and out of place." Converting salespeople into friends could make a lot of teens more comfortable with drug stores.

Older teens are less comfortable with salespeople but just as dependent on testers and store signage. 'TEEN found that 30 percent of all teens between 16 and 19 said testers influenced their decision to purchase cosmetics, while 29 percent said they were influenced by samples. Seventeen percent told 'TEEN they were also influenced by in-store signage, but just 4 percent said salespeople in the stores impacted in any way on their purchases.