The face of retail is changing due to consumer demand during Covid.  Health and beauty products are enjoying a boom as folks are opting to stay home and self care. As video calls are on the rise, and consumers curb salon and spa visits, Vogue Business reports, folks are opting to create the spa experience at home.

Contrary to the trends we’ve seen on social media as of late, consumers aren’t clamoring for products that promise to transform them into renown professional stylists, spa technicians, or celebrity spokespeople.  As with food, there is a renewed interest in “wellness and clean beauty,” according to Women’s Wear Daily.  As a result, we are witnessing an increased demand for health and beauty products made with natural and plant-based ingredients. 

While many consumers are purchasing health and beauty products online, there is plenty of potential for food retailers, gift basket crafters, and mom and pop shops to clean up by bringing in natural health and beauty products. We already know from Food manufacturing that, 72% of consumers are shopping less often during COVID-19, opting to stock up. Stocking up includes health and beauty products, not just hand sanitizers and soaps. Enhancing your health and beauty program during Covid is simple — if you know what customers are seeking. Below we give you the lowdown on what’s popular now.

Everyday Pampering

They might not be going out for a night on the town, so perhaps they are not shopping for high end-cosmetics to add glitz and glamour, but consumers still want to look good for that video call.  CNBC reported that skincare sales within the natural beauty segment rose 11% during Covid.

This segment of consumers desires everyday care. They want to feel like a million bucks and they need to know the products they’re using contain only natural ingredients or are eco-friendly. Consumers are loving products like Alba Botanica’s Original Emollient Body Lotion, with its 100% vegetarian ingredients like aloe vera, green tea, and chamomile. Customers appreciate the natural goodness paired with deep hydration for a feel-good experience.

Whether it’s after a day of wearing a mask or the daily grind at the home office, consumers want their faces to feel fresh and clean every day.  A foaming facial wash full of sea salt minerals like Alba Botanica’s Even Advanced Sea Mineral Cleansing Gel, provides the refreshing feeling and helps even skin tone.

It’s not only skin that folks want to pamper with natural, clean nourishment — it’s hair, too. Since many customers have reduced their salon visits (if they’re even open in their area), products that extend the time between services are enjoying a sales spike. Customers’ wish-lists contain hair care products that boast natural ingredients. Color protecting shampoos and conditioners like Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Complex Color Care Conditioner, are a great addition to your shelves. Andalou’s 1000 Roses Conditioner harnesses Alpine Rose Stem Cells to strengthen hair while pomegranate, rose hip and coconut oil helps to smooth hair and protect from color-fade – all with a vegan formula.

Spa-Like Experience

Even though more consumers are staying home, it’s not stopping their want, or need, for self-care.  In fact, it’s quite the opposite. According to Vogue Business, consumers are looking for indulgent care even more now during Covid to delineate time between work and rest. Don’t worry . . . indulgent does not mean you must transform your business into a high-end beauty counter. There are high-quality natural candles, facial masks, and body scrubs that provide a luxury spa-like experience at home, and they are well within reach of a reasonable budget. 

A calming spa environment is all about lighting, and what better way to provide that ambience affordably than with candles?  Trends show customers are demanding candles that fit their clean and natural lifestyle. Mrs. Meyers soy candles in calming lavender and soothing lemon verbena set the mood with luscious comforting scents from real essential oils, and they are made with biodegradable soy, a plus for customers who care about the environment.  Another candle favorite of ours is Aloha Bay, made with renewable coconut wax and soothing essential oil scents like Chai Spice  or even Chakra scents that help elevate customers’ meditation sessions. Always a great gift basket item, candles are now a simple indulgence people gift to themselves too, so even a single shelf in your shop will garner lots of attention.

Ok the mood is set – on with the at-home treatments!  A shower can be transformed into a spa-like service with Alba Botanica’s Hawaiian Scrub in Revitalizing Sea Salt, which detoxifies and exfoliates with a unique blend of Pacific sea salt. The scrub also contains jojoba, macadamia, avocado, and sweet almond oils for added moisturizing qualities.

A quick and easy at-home spa treatment that is enjoying renewed popularity, facial masks!  We like Alba Botanica’s Hawaiian Facial Mask in Pore-fecting Papaya Enzyme, which uses a unique vegetarian blend of papaya and pineapple enzymes to help get rid of dead skin cells to help reveal healthy skin cells. The simplicity of facial masks and the small retail footprint needed for merchandising give these products a great bang for the buck.

Cravings of comfort and wellness are extending into health and beauty products during Covid. Now is the time to differentiate your business from the competition by positioning yourself as a one-stop-shop for all things comforting and natural – including health and beauty.  Since customers are looking for a little luxury with their natural products, consider amping up your health and beauty merchandising with tables that look like, or are constructed with natural materials. Shelving with overhead lighting draws attention and adds to the products’ perceived value. Consumers love ingredients that are familiar and want to know the company’s story. Arm your staff with the information they need to help guide consumers to a purchase. Simple steps that help customers feel educated about health and beauty lead to repeat business, and great reviews that lead new customers to your door.