Today, the beauty market occupies a central position in the global economy. Driven by constantly evolving demand, it generates over 500 billion dollars a year, with solid annual growth of almost 5% . A dynamic sector in perpetual transformation.
Three major trends are shaping the industry today. Firstly, digitalization, which is revolutionizing consumer habits: online shopping, the influence of social networks, augmented reality applications... Technology is invading beauty routines. Next, sustainability: consumers expect more responsible products, eco-designed packaging, natural ingredients that are traceable and respectful of the environment. Lastly,changing expectations: diversity, transparency, personalization... The public is demanding that brands make a commitment and adapt to their values.
At the crossroads of innovation, ethics and new consumer habits, today's beauty market is one of the most exciting to watch.
On a global scale, the beauty market is experiencing continuous growth, estimated at +5% per year on average. In 2023, it passed the $580 billion mark, and forecasts predict nearly $750 billion by 2027. This expansion is driven by strong demand on several continents.
In the Asia-Pacific region, which today accounts for almost 40% of the global market, China will dominate, with sales of over $70 billion by 2023.
South Korea, with its K-beauty innovations, is also influencing global trends.
In North America, the United States remains a major player, generating nearly $100 billion by 2023, thanks to a mature market and a strong culture of innovation.
Europe, though more stable, remains influential, accounting for around 25% of the global market, buoyed by the quality and reputation of its products.
France, for its part, holds a strategic position. French exports reached 21.3 billion euros in 2023, making it the world's leading exporter of cosmetics, ahead of the USA and Germany. Its main asset is its emblematic brands such as L'Oréal, Chanel, Lancôme and Yves Rocher, which enabled it to break the symbolic 20-billion euro barrier for the first time in 2023. An increase of +10.8% on 2022, proving that the French market has no intention of stopping there. In fact, the French industry is relying on its historic expertise, notably in perfumery and luxury cosmetics, but also on the development of clean beauty and technological innovations, to achieve its objectives.
But beyond the figures, changes in consumer behavior are profoundly transforming the sector. Today, 78% of buyers say they prefer natural or organic products, and 68% say they read the ingredients before buying. The values ofauthenticity, transparency and sustainability are no longer optional: they have become central to the purchasing decision and decisive for customer loyalty. Brands must now prove their commitment, whether through cleaner formulas, eco-designed packaging or ethical practices at every stage of the chain.
Gone are the days of illegible ingredient lists: consumers want to understand what they're applying to their skin. The "clean beauty" movement is responding to this expectation, by favoring shorter formulas free of controversial substances (parabens, sulfates, silicones, etc.), often of natural origin. As a result, brands must play the transparency card.
Labels and certifications are becoming essential benchmarks. The COSMOS Organiclabel, issued by Ecocert or Cosmébio, for example, guarantees an organic composition with precise requirements. The terms vegan (without ingredients of animal origin) or cruelty-free (not tested on animals) also reassure buyers, especially younger ones. In France, 59% of 15-27 year-olds attach importance to the composition of cosmetic products, and 34% favor natural or organic ingredients when making their purchases. These certifications are more than just marketing arguments, they are a real differentiation lever for brands.
The ecological transition is forcing the beauty industry to rethink its models, from product formulation to distribution. Gone are the days of single-use plastic, replaced by sustainable packaging, refill systems and bulk sales. This structural evolution is paving the way for a new generation of committed brands, combining innovation, responsibility and practicality.
Many brands are now investing in eco-designed packaging, designed to be recyclable, refillable or made from sustainable materials. Such is the case with 900.carea French brand founded in 2019, which offers hygiene products (shower gel, toothpaste, deodorant...) in the form of refills to be diluted at home. Containers are designed to last, and refills are sent without single-use plastic, in compostable packaging. With over 235,000 customers and a fundraising target of 21 million euros by 2024, the brand embodies a new way of consuming, where practicality rhymes with responsibility.
Other players are focusing on bulk or solid products in order to eliminate superfluous packaging altogether. Such is the case of French brand Unbottledlaunched in 2019, and best known for its plastic-free solid shampoos. With over 10 million euros in sales by 2023, the brand illustrates the rise of zero-waste beauty, favored by a young, urban and committed clientele.
On another scale, brands like Avril, which offers organic cosmetics at affordable prices, prove that combining performance and sustainability is possible. With over 50 boutiques and sales of 37 million euros in 2024, the brand donates 1% of its revenues to environmental associations. Meanwhile, Origins, a brand of the Estée Lauder group and a pioneer in recycled packaging and plant-based ingredients, enjoys global visibility within a group that will have generated $15.9 billion in 2023. These players are redefining standards and pushing the market towards greater responsibility.
It's impossible to talk about beauty trends without mentioning the growing influence of Asian cosmetics, particularly K-beauty, which originated in South Korea. This approach to skincare is based on multi-step routines - oil cleansing, double cleansing, lotion, essence, serum, mask, cream... - and emphasizes prevention, hydration and regularity, rather than make-up or corrective treatments.
The global influence of K-beauty has largely been driven by social networks like TikTok and Instagram. Beauty influencers, often in search of more natural, skin-friendly rituals, have played a key role in the spread of these practices. They have helped popularize a fresh, luminous aesthetic that is less focused on camouflage.
Faced with this craze, many Western brands have adopted the codes of K-beauty: light textures, gentle but effective active ingredients (such as centella asiatica or niacinamide), and a sensorial skincare dimension. French brands such as Erborian, born of the encounter between Korean tradition and European cosmetics, perfectly embody this fusion of know-how.
Beauty can't be bought like it used to be. The sector has seen the emergence of new distribution channels that now coexist with traditional ones. Accessibility, expertise, digitalization or ethics: each outlet meets specific expectations. Here's an overview.
For years, mass retailers have played a central role in the democratization of cosmetics, making products available everywhere, at competitive prices, and targeting a wide and varied public.
This model is embodied by brands such as Garnier, L'Oréal Paris, Nivea and Le Petit Marseillais, which are omnipresent on the shelves. They rely on family formats, massive advertising campaigns and high visibility- levers that enable them to remain unavoidable. As a result, supermarkets still account for a significant proportion of sales, particularly for hair care, hygiene products and entry-level cosmetics.
It's worth noting that some brands, like Maybelline, have made the strategic choice tobe distributed exclusively in supermarkets. This is a conscious approach, designed to maximize shelf presence and reach a wide audience. L'Oréal, the brand's parent company, has even set up a dedicated " mass market" unit to manage this specific strategy. As a result, mass retailers continue to account for a significant proportion of sales, particularly for hair care, personal care and make-up.
Faced with the rise of digital technology, specialist superstores such as Sephora, Nocibé and Marionnaud have reinvented themselves by focusing on an immersive, differentiating customer experience. More than simply selling products, these chains offer exclusive services: personalized advice from professional make-up artists, beauty workshops, in-store treatments and live demonstrations. These are all elements that create an added value that cannot be found online or in supermarkets.
Another major advantage is their strategy of exclusivity. For example, Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty is distributed exclusively by Sephora in France. Similarly, Rihanna's Fenty Beauty, renowned for its wide range of inclusive shades, has long been a Sephora exclusive, offering products to suit all skin tones . These exclusive partnerships enable supermarkets to differentiate themselves and attract customers in search of new products.
Finally, these chains have developed a solid omnichannel strategycombining e-commerce, mobile applications, click & collect and loyalty programs. Sephora, for example, has invested heavily in digital while maintaining a dense network of physical stores, ensuring a seamless transition between online and in-store experiences.
Pharmacies and parapharmacies have gained in popularity in recent years, driven by growing demand for natural, effective dermo-cosmetic products. The promise? Safer skin care, often recommended by health professionals.
Brands such as La Roche-Posay, Avène, Bioderma and Caudalie have a strong presence. There are also young, committed brands such as Respire, which offers natural, vegan skincare made in France, and has been distributed in parapharmacy since its inception. This combination of naturalness and medical credibility is reassuring a growing number of consumers.
Digital technology has profoundly transformed consumer habits in the world of beauty. Today, almost a third of cosmetics purchases are made online. This channel is particularly appealing to the younger generation, attracted by its practicality, the diversity of its offer and immediate access to opinions and recommendations.
Against this backdrop, DNVBs (Digital Native Vertical Brands) - brands born online - have come into their own. Names like Typology, Yepoda and The Ordinary have made their mark thanks to streamlined sites, transparent formulations and a communication strategy targeted at Instagram and TikTok.
Beauty influencers are key players in this evolution. By publishing tutorials, reviews, live demonstrations or evening routines, they directly influence the purchasing decisions of their communities. But a new trend is beginning to emerge: that of disinfluence.
Driven by content creators deemed more authentic and expert, disinfluence encourages more reasoned consumption. It encourages Internet users to think before they buy, to prioritize quality over quantity, and to move away from sometimes excessive consumerism.
This change of outlook benefits French brands such as La Roche-Posay, Avène and Estée Lauder, renowned for their effectiveness, sobriety and the quality of their ingredients. Less focused on lengthy routines, they embody a more sustainable, soothed beauty, in tune with today's expectations.
Influencers are no longer simply trend-setters: they are becoming the bearers of a new vision of beauty, more conscious, more transparent, and resolutely focused on the essentials.
These brands offer a wide choice of certified organic or natural cosmetics, often manufactured locally. Brands such as Florame, Coslys and Douces Angevines appeal to customers in search of meaning and commitment.
La Vie Claire, for example, is increasingly developing its beauty offer, capitalizing on the trust its customers place in it in terms of quality and product selection.
In a sector as competitive and dynamic as beauty, sales structuring and sales force management are essential levers for standing out from the crowd. Today, it's no longer enough to offer a good product: you also need to know how to present it in the right place, at the right time, with the right arguments. This is precisely where Sidely comes in, providing brands with concrete tools to reinforce their presence in the field and optimize their effectiveness.
In parapharmacy as in specialized distribution, in-store team training is essential. Brands need to ensure that their sales staff and advisors have fully assimilated key product information. Sidely enables these training sessions to be monitored and validated, guaranteeing that knowledge is passed on smoothly and reliably at every point of contact with the customer.
To effectively manage their field strategy, brands need reliable data. Thanks to its reporting tools, Sidely offers real-time visibility on actions taken, enablingresults to be analyzed,campaigns to be adjusted, and return on investment to be maximized.
Merchandising plays a crucial role in the beauty world, where the act of purchase is often impulsive. Sidely helps brands to plan, deploy and monitor the impact of theirpoint-of-sale advertising media. The tool ensures strategic positioning (store entrances, checkouts, promotional areas) for maximum visibility.
The beauty market demands fine-tuned, responsive monitoring: a variety of distribution channels (supermarkets, pharmacies, beauty salons, concept stores, etc.), a strong presence in the field and the ability to keep up with rapidly changing trends. Sidely adapts to these requirements thanks to :
At the heart of the Sidely approach is a CRM solution designed for field teams. Thanks to an intuitive interface and advanced functionalities, brands can :
The result: teams that are more agile, more productive and better equipped to make brands shine in the field.
The beauty market is undergoing radical change, with strong societal expectations, new digital requirements and competitive pressures. In this context, brands need the right tools to remain visible, effective and connected to their customers.
With its CRM solution designed with the field in mind, Sidely supports beauty industry players every day in their quest for smoother, more efficient and more sustainable sales management.
