NPD Group study: Tween girls spending more bucks on beauty
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. —Attention beauty buyers: Tween girls could be your lottery ticket.
According to a recent report from market research firm The NPD Group, tween girls are using more beauty products, which means they represent an opportunity for the industry. But the really interesting point is that it doesn’t seem to have as much to do with a larger societal issue as you may think.
The “Insight into the Youth Beauty Market” report found that tween girls (ages 8 to 12 years) are reporting an increase in their usage of a few products, especially mascara and eyeliner. In fact, regular use of mascara nearly doubled in the past two years among tween girls (from 10% to 18%) as did eyeliner (from 9% to 15%). Overall, tweens reported using on average 4.5 different beauty products regularly, consistent with levels reported in 2007. The NPD Group defines “regular usage” as using at least once a month.
The evolution of beauty product use in tween girls appears to have less to do with diminished self-esteem or a larger societal issue, and more to do with moms and families, according to The NPD Group. The girls said they “look to their parents and siblings to see what they are using to help decide what to buy and use.”
Meanwhile, the report also found that among teens (ages 13 to 17 years), such skin care basics as facial cleansers and acne-spot treatment products, and such makeup products as mascara and lip gloss, significantly dropped in reported regular use versus 2007 levels. Among young women (ages 18 to 24 years), the pattern was similar. Foundation was the only product in the top 10 (ranked on overall reported usage) that showed no significant change in reported regular use for this age segment.
“As tween girls using beauty has now become a family affair, it is our opportunity and responsibility to ensure that these girls—and their parents—are educated on the role of beauty in the most responsible way,” stated Karen Grant, VP and global industry analyst for The NPD Group.