A new Shop! ANZ and Vypr report found social media and influencers rank last among the factors driving Australian beauty purchases at just 11%, while price and promotions top the list at 66%. Influencers are an awareness tool in beauty, not a conversion one, and paying them on a sales promise is paying for the wrong job.
A recommendation from someone you know is nearly three times more persuasive than one from someone you follow.
Australian beauty shoppers have stopped taking their cues from influencers. A new report from Shop! ANZ and consumer insights firm Vypr found social media and influencers rank last among the factors that drive a beauty purchase, cited by just 11% of shoppers.
Price and promotions topped the list at 66%, followed by trusted brands at 56%, product performance at 41%, ingredients at 29% and recommendations from friends and family at 28%. Read that order again. A tip from someone a shopper actually knows is nearly three times more persuasive than one from someone they follow.
The behaviour underneath is planned, not impulsive. 68% of shoppers said they usually plan beauty purchases in advance and only 2% called their beauty shopping mostly impulse driven. Chemists and pharmacies remain the leading channel at 67%, ahead of supermarkets at 61%.
Why it matters
Influencer budgets in beauty have ballooned on the assumption that a follower is a warm lead. This data says otherwise, at least in Australia and at least at the point of purchase. That does not make influencers worthless. It means they are an awareness tool, not a conversion one, and paying them on a sales promise is paying for the wrong job. Meanwhile the two things that actually move a beauty sale, price and trust, are the least glamorous line items in the plan.
Just 11% of Australian beauty shoppers cite influencers as a purchase driver, against 66% who name price and promotions. Source: Shop! ANZ and Vypr.
What to do about it
Match the channel to the job. Use influencers for reach and discovery, not for the last click. Do not pay them on a conversion they do not drive.
Get your promotional calendar sharp. In a category where most shoppers plan ahead and chase value, your pricing rhythm is a growth lever.
Feed word of mouth. If a friend's recommendation beats a creator's three to one, referral and reviews deserve real budget.
Meet shoppers where they buy. Two thirds shop beauty in a chemist. Your retail media and in-store presence there matters more than another paid post.
The beauty buyer is planning ahead and chasing value, not scrolling for permission. The brands that fund price and trust over reach will win the trolley.