DE FASHION NETWORK | http://bit.ly/2DK0KpU

#Sales of #prestige #beauty #products up #4% in the #UK 

Despite economic and political uncertainties, the UK prestige beauty market has grown by a steady 4% in 2017, according to The NPD Group. Makeup was the most dynamic category, followed by skincare and fragrance. Purchases from overseas visitors might explain a large part of the growth.

Sales of luxury beauty products in the UK reported an increase of 4% in 2017, hitting the £3 billion mark (EUR 3.4 billion), unveiled The NPD Group. According to the market research firm, the growth was largely driven by strong performance in fragrance, make-up and skincare and by the interest from overseas shoppers.

“The growth we have seen in the UK prestige beauty market is impressive, given the uncertainty with Brexit and the weak pound. British customers continue to purchase prestige beauty with great passion, and we also believe that an increase in global shoppers is a contributing factor to this growth, especially in super premium skincare and fragrance,” commented Helen Duxbury, Senior Account Manager, NPD UK Beauty.

Healthy fragrance sales

The prestige fragrance market was valued at £1 billion in 2017. Fragrance ended the year with a solid performance, increasing 3%, with both classic and new launches contributing to this growth. Consumers continue to choose juices over gift sets with the sale of gift sets remaining flat in 2017, with juices growing 4%.

Skincare and makeup

Skincare grew 6% in 2017 and this growth has been driven by classic and super premium brands. Although small at present, natural and vegan brands are demonstrating their importance to the skincare market’s growth.

As far as make-up are concerned, sales increased by 6% compared to last year, but this slowed from the double-digit growth of 10% reported in 2016. Within the make-up sector, foundation and lip colour remain the star performing categories reporting healthy growth throughout 2017.

“From the figures we have seen in 2017 there is a definite boom in the prestige beauty market. Make-up and super premium skincare are a real attraction for overseas visitors as they include many designer brands. Retailers confirm they have seen an increase in global shoppers in store. Whilst the weak pound confirms our thoughts that the global shopper is boosting the prestige beauty market, UK shoppers continue their love affair with prestige beauty in all categories,” concluded Helen Duxbury.

CNBC | Uptin Saiidi | @uptin | 04-10-2017

[READ THE FULL ARTICLE ONLINE]

Princess Yachts, a luxury yacht maker based in Plymouth, U.K., said its retail sales rate had increased 25 percent over the past year, thanks largely to the decline in the British pound after the U.K. voted to leave the EU.

"Brexit has given many of our customers to buy at a more favorable price in their local currency," Antony Sheriff, executive chairman of Princess Yachts told CNBC while at the Singapore Yacht Show. "But we don't count on that. We assume exchange rates at some point will even out."

Princess Yachts says its production is entirely conducted in and around Plymouth, while competitors use a variety of global suppliers. The domestic production, coupled with the majority of its buyers being outside the U.K., has made for a beneficial combination. The pound is down about 17 percent against the dollar since the U.K. voted to leave the E.U.

The majority of buyers of Princess Yachts come from Europe and the U.S., meaning the prices are now very attractive.

According to the company, its yachts are now sold out through 2018, with some orders confirmed for 2019.

Sheriff said the surge in sales actually began a few months prior to Brexit as a result of newly designed offerings, but it was then reinforced by currency moves.

Recently, Article 50 was triggered in the U.K., which is the formal two-year process governing Britain's departure from the E.U.

Still, a lot of uncertainty remains, which Sheriff said makes it challenging to navigate the business.

"Nobody really knows how to plan for the future," he said. "If there's one thing that would be useful for the government is to give us some degree of certainty as to what the plan is on the Brexit side and some degree of certainty that border taxes will not distort the market."

[LIRE L'ARTICLE EN ENTIER DANS LE DAILY MAIL]

Victory for Mail as microbeads in make-up are banned: Minister calls on shoppers to boycott cosmetics with the tiny toxic beads

Andrea Leadsom urged Christmas shoppers to boycott microbead products. The Environment Secretary promised an outright ban by next October. More than a quarter of cosmetics on the shelves contain the plastic additives

A top minister last night urged Christmas shoppers to boycott cosmetics and personal care products containing microbeads as she promised an outright ban by next October.

The vow by Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom is a major victory for the Daily Mail.

She will today begin a consultation on the need for a similar crackdown on other household goods containing the tiny toxic beads, such as washing powder and cleaning products.

In the meantime, the Cabinet minister called on shoppers to check the list of ingredients on make-up and other products including toothpastes, face scrubs and shower gels before buying. More than a quarter of cosmetics on the shelves contain the plastic additives.

Mrs Leadsom told the Mail: 'The UK has always been a leader in environmental protection and we take our responsibility to marine life – not only in our own seas, but around the world – very seriously'.

NOVEMBER, 30, 2016.

London: While the prospect of Brexit is weighing on much of the British economy, tourism and luxury goods businesses are cashing in on bargain-hungry visitors lured by the slide in the pound.

[LIRE L'ARTICLE DANS BUSINESS NEWS] 

London’s tourism agency says sales of goods eligible for sales-tax exemption have gone up by a third since the Brexit vote in June, which sent the pound sterling plunging against the euro and dollar. ”We calculated that over the last four months it’s been about 12% cheaper for Europeans to come and shop here,” said Chris Gottlieb, head of leisure marketing at the agency London & Partners. The pound is now at 1.17 euros compared with 1.3 euros before the shock vote to leave the European Union, while it has also fallen to US$1.25 from US$1.49. The result is that London has become the cheapest city for luxury goods shopping in the world in dollar terms, according to a study by Deloitte.

‘GOING TO SPEND MUCH MORE’

In tourist areas, the effects are evident. ”We’re going to spend much more money than we planned to,” said Radostina Nonova, a Bulgarian tourist, laughing as she lugged her bags on Carnaby Street - in the heart of London’s shopping district. ”We didn’t plan to shop too much but it’s obvious that the prices are very good for us. ”So we shop and we can afford to eat and drink outside. That was not possible years ago,” she said.

French tourist Christophe Disic said he did not come just because the pound was low but “when we changed our money we realised we had a few more pounds for fewer euros”. When speaking to US tourists, shopkeepers are quick to take out their calculators. ”We’re an American brand. Our products are designed and assembled in the States. But with the weakening of the pound it actually happens to be cheaper for the American tourists to buy an American product in London,” said Denis Sagajevs, who works in Shinola, a shop selling watches and leather accessories. ”It’s affected by the fact that they can claim VAT on their way back. We pretty much on a day-to-day basis explain that to customers from the States. It happens to be quite a strong sales driver,” he said.

50 PER CENT INCREASE IN SHOPPERS

Some shops are adapting their advertising and sales tactics to the new consumer behaviour. ”Before the vote, European tourists were couples who came to be together and maybe bought a couple of things,” said James, the manager of a luxury men’s clothes shop on Carnaby Street. ”Now, there are groups of friends who rush in. They grab everything they can carry.” James estimated that European and US shoppers coming to his store have increased by around 50%. Instead of spending on costly advertising in British newspapers as it did before, his firm is changing tactic to appeal more to overseas visitors. They have put up signs outside Underground train stations near the shop.

But there are doubts about how long the boom can last. While the good health of the British economy was confirmed by solid growth of 0.5% in the third quarter, the official forecasts for 2017 have been lowered to 1.4% from 2.2%. ”Our British customer sales are not as strong as before the vote and we don’t even know if this tourism boom is going to last,” James said. - AFP

Changes in UK skin care routines spell premium-level opportunities

By Simon Pitman+, 22-Jun-2016

Changes to skin care routines that incorporate busy and fast-paced lifestyles are providing opportunities in the UK premium market, according to the latest Premium Market Report. 

Besides the fact that consumers like to chop and change the products they use according to their needs, the report also highlights that it is new concepts and technology that consumers really embrace when the consider what products they buy.

[READ THE FULL ARTICLE]