Southeast Asia’s beauty shoppers have demonstrated a knowledge and understanding that’s anything but skin-deep when it comes to their shopping preferences. A burgeoning middle class and surge in disposable income has led to a keen appetite for prestige products, homegrown labels, and sustainable offerings. Shoppers are also increasingly turning to locally-produced products for everything from food and ingredients to arts and culture, as they seek more representation.
Aiding product discovery are social and ecommerce platforms, which account for 20% of sales, according to data from Ascential Digital Commerce. Major players like Shopee, Lazada and ZALORA represent the majority of online beauty and skincare transactions in Southeast Asia, home to millions of young and first-time Internet shoppers.