The beauty industry which comes under the FMCG i.e. fast moving consumer goods brands keeps on changing at a fast pace. So, it becomes all the more important for beauty industries to keep pace with the changing times marketing trends. Traditional times never had a small sample of a new cream or foundation for women to try. But nowadays with the advancement and improvement in technology, many companies are coming up with the idea of providing their customers with a free sample.
Free sample will boost sales of companies
When a new moisturiser, face wash or even a lipstick is introduced by a company, it is difficult to whether it would suit your skin tone or the make –up product will look good after its application. This is where samplers come in. They helps the customer by providing an idea of whether the make –up product suits them, looks good or not or whether a particular face cream has no side effect on their skin tone. All these features with a sample make it more likely and easy for a customer to buy beauty products.
Research findings with consumer surveys
Many of the small to large beauty companies undertook a survey with new and existing customers and got interesting findings. It showed that majority of the women shoppers are more likely to buy a beauty product after trying its sample. The results also showed that a whopping 50 % customers purchase the product after trying its sample.
One of the cosmetic brands sent a sample eye shadow palette to 7% of its customers that are subscribed to its magazine. After which 11.2 % of the customers purchased the full product. This increased quite a lot in their sale number.
Birchbox – A leading magazine
This is a beauty subscription magazine which can be purchased by paying $ 10 a month. Katia Beauchamp, who is the CEO and also the co- founder at Birchbox stated that their sale success is becoming huge after they are witnessing one beauty product is being sold every three minutes. And also because of the huge rise in their sale, they were able to raise an amount of 12 million from its investors. Now the team at Birchbox is expecting that their online sale will be tripled in 2013.
Katia also stated that many customers like to try products which they would not normally go for. This gives them a chance to try out something different. Further if they like the product, they can purchase the full version.
Birchbox was launched by Miss. Beauchamp in the year 2010 along with Hayley Barna, a Harvard graduate. Currently their company has offices in 4 locations and an employee head count of 150. Their women’s subscription costs $10, whereas the men version comes for $20. Along with the samples are present according to the individual’s need. The team at Birchbox also stated that new demands can be quite easily generated in the industry of beauty and grooming among the customers.