PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — Sales over the Internet now make up 4% of all beauty industry sales or about $1.7 billion of the more than $42 billion market, making it one of the fastest-growing channels for shopping, according to a new study from the NPD Group. “Emerging Channels: Beauty Care Products Over the Internet” reported that one in 10 women across all age groups said they shop for beauty products, such as makeup, skin care and fragrances, on the Web. Forty-three percent of women who shop for beauty products on the Internet say they spent more online in 2006 than they did in 2005. The No. 1 reason they use the Internet is convenience. Nearly three-fourths (74%) of those women say it “saves time” and about 70% say “it’s easier/quicker to shop online than a store.” “Consumers have become more wired and so they are more likely to research, choose and replenish beauty brands online. We find that women are less accepting of buying new brands over the Internet, but they are spending their money on brands they know and trust,” said Karen Grant, senior beauty industry analyst for the NPD Group.
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