COVID-19 Drives DIY Trends in Beauty, Home

Jane Hali & Associates sees a shift in consumer behavior trends as well as a reconfiguration of the retail landscape.

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As states eye a gradual lifting of “stay at home” mandates, some retailers are planning to reopen stores. But Jane Hali, the principle of Jane Hali & Associates, said in her most-recent U.S. consumer outlook report that retail is not going to be the same in a post-COVID-19 world.

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Hali expects some department stores to remain off-line as online sales continue to grow. The pandemic has also reinvigorated old trends such as DIY, but with a wellness and beauty twist. And there’s also new behavioral-inspired categories emerging such as “home-leisure.”

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With department stores, Hali said expects the “vast majority of C-mall anchors will not reopen and probably a sizable percentage of B mall anchors as well. Unless the landlord has a redevelopment plan ready to go when the box goes vacant, the department stores will continue to be liable under the lease unless/until they file for bankruptcy.”

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With e-commerce, Hali said “digital was already a growth vehicle, now it is the only way to generate sales with stores closed.”

“We expect consumers to continue on a larger scale to use various forms of digital post-COVID-19 as they shop and interact with others,” Hali said, adding that the firm envisions “a 50/50 percent split between brick-and-mortar and e-com in the future, it might now be closer than we think post-COVID-19.”

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“We believe a lot of people are going to be more hesitant to go into stores, specifically malls or more closed areas, until a vaccine comes out,” Hali said. “E-commerce will proliferate for many reasons one of them being safety.” This shift will require retailers to up their e-commerce game as well as apps and social media shopping, Hali said adding that technology investments will be needed — especially in AI.

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With Do-It-Yourself, at-home hair color and skin care, as well as nail care, will continue to be a prominent trend. DIY home improvement will also take center stage.

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“During the lockdown, consumers have not been keen on having workman in their homes,” she said. “Customers are putting together their own furniture buys. Triple-digit sales increases have been reported of water filtration devices and replacement filters. Double-dollar sales increases of handheld specialty cleaning appliances and air purifier sales have also been reported compared to the same period last year. Consumers are focused on a healthier living environment now.”

Dovetailing with these trends is the emergence of “home-leisure,” which Hali said “is becoming a new term as people work and stay at home.”

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“While it has an overlap with ath-leisure, home-leisure is comfort lounging outfits for the home,” Hali said adding that she sees “this as an opportunity within loungewear and sleepwear.”

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