Refillable Beauty - part 3 - Consumers Expectations & Attitudes

We've been listening, reading, and watching what is happening on social media to understand what consumers think about refillable beauty. We saw more discussions surrounding packaging and the waste associated with it, so here is a snapshot of what people make of refillable packaging.

We've been listening, reading, and watching what is happening on social media to understand what consumers think about refillable beauty. We saw more discussions surrounding packaging and the waste associated with it, so here is a snapshot of what people make of refillable packaging.

The market trends

A recent survey by Global Data (published Dec. 2022) reveals that  Most consumers (67%) find packaging that is refillable/reusable to be extremely or quite important, even more so than plastic free packaging (64%) which has been in the spotlight in recent years.

Also, Many consumers wish to only purchase from brands whose practices align with their own personal beliefs and values, for example, their desire to mitigate their carbon footprint.

The survey reveals there are opportunities for brands who wish to experiment with refillable packaging in Central and South America as well as Asia and Australasia, as these are places where it would be most welcomed.

There is equally strong support for refillable packaging among older generations (Gen Y, Gen X, Boomers, Silent Generation). This packaging type is important to half of Gen Z (aged 12 to 26). As a result of the breadth of these captive consumer markets, beauty brands are incentivized to align with sustainable principles in order to attract and retain loyal customers and elevate their sustainability credentials.

Covid led consumers to call into question the hygiene of reusable packaging. Despite this, GlobalData’s survey reveals most global consumers (68%) are confident about the hygiene of refillable packaging. The pandemic also saw a resurgence of single-use plastics, and 64% of global consumers regard this packaging type to be ‘extremely or quite important’. However, this is lower compared to the 67% of consumers who prioritise refillable packaging.

Attitudes towards refills

A survey conducted to its Instagram followers by SamByTheCounter reveals that only 15% of beauty consumers are buying refillable products. It’s worth noting that these consumers are most probably beauty aficionados, and explaining that they’d rather buy the latest new product on the market rather than buy again, as they would feel stuck with a brand.

Sam claims to be “ *highly* suspicious that refills are doing anything but distracting”.

They also think that refills work mostly for highly reused products like hand soap, shower gel or shampoo.

Overall consumers said from this poll/post:

• It puts the burden on the consumers
• Worry about contamination if a pump is involved
• Brand should do Jumbo size packaging instead of refill
• Recycling is better than refill
• Refills are often with the same amount of packaging
• It mostly works for liquid cleansing products like hand soap, shower gel & shampoo
• Often prefer to buy a new product as hardly use the same product twice
• Not always easy to refill, and if you break to “host/shell” packaging you get stuck

In two articles mentioned by SamByTheCounter as a source of information for his posts, beauty journalists mentioned that  “ refillability can be worse than the alternative” and also wonder whether “ consumers actually want to use the same formulas over and over (and over) again?” and then goes on to say that “ we don't have evidence that it's making a tangible difference in the health of our planet ” explained Diana Mazzone from Allure.

In another article, the beauty journalist writes that “ For Kirsten Kjaer Weis, the founder of Kjaer Weis, she’s seen how much of a challenge it’s been to reconcile her refillable system with consumer behaviour. …. But since she launched Kjaer Weis in 2010, refill purchases (which are 30 per cent cheaper than buying a brand new compact) have steadily increased. Now, refills are 25 to 30 per cent of Kjaer Weis’ business.”  … “ Despite the scary stats and the daunting task ahead for consumers and corporations to rethink their use of plastic, there’s still a glimmer of hope for a more sustainable industry—and possibly even a post-packaging world writes Andrea Cheng.

Another Post by Sam by the Counter - who does not like refill and does not recommend it. (July 2024)

“ I just want to see legitimate improvements- less packaging, simpler materials, lighter, easier to transport. That makes sense to me. Refills do not.

Not to mention how brands are predominantly focusing on consumer facing refill systems. But what about supply chain and manufacturing. Things we can’t see.—Video description generated by Captions:The Challenges of Sustainable Packaging and Consumer LoyaltyThe user expresses frustration with a decorative soap dispenser that encourages refills, but the user doesn’t like the soap inside and doesn’t want to buy a refill. The user argues that the brand’s assumption of customer loyalty and the desire for a ‘circular economy’ doesn’t align with real-life consumer behavior, which is often fickle and unsatisfied. The user suggests that brands should focus more on making the initial packaging more sustainable rather than relying on refills." expresses Sam

JULY 2024 - https://www.instagram.com/p/C9jy7D1JyNC/

=> This is a one-sided and negative opinion but this might explain some of the skepticism on the market.

Another post by Allison Turquoise reveals how doubtful she is about the refillable options on the market and the gain in terms of carbon emission compared to regular products. She claims that a refill needs to be used at least three to four times to offer any sustainability aspect. It’s true when you consider the carbon impact of refill pods + host packaging, compared to regular packaging.

You can learn more about this on a previous report about refillable solutions on the market from re-sources.

Allison explains that she believes “ refills can work well for brands that offer monthly subscriptions of high repurchase products (think sunscreen, for example!)”.

She also goes on to say “ Personally I'd love to see more refill pouches from bodycare🧴 and haircare 💇‍♀️ brands, as generally, you don't have to worry about the formula becoming compromised due to oxygen exposure while refilling 😊”.

Some comments express that:

•  (this post) “ highlights the importance of purchasing the refill system in order to actually see the sustainability benefits “
• One follower event explained to have used a refilled jar with a refill 4 times “ so feeling a little bit better about it ” after watching the Instagram post.
• “Not sustainable at all. Mostly just greenwashing.”

In another post Charlotte Palermino explains as a beauty specialist and brand owner, how she had to search for the right option for her products and ended up choosing an aluminium tube instead of a refillable bottle or jar.

Charlotte says “ Generally speaking I’m wary of claiming sustainability because packaging is one of many inputs… and it’s about making things less bad. Is any of it ‘sustainable?’ What does that mean? “

She goes on to say with regard to “ refillable packaging “ that brands need to explain:

• is it using less packaging 
• how many refills must you buy 
• is the packaging made out of better materials

Some of her followers commented on:

• Reduce, reuse, and recycle is in order of importance: meaning that recycling should be the last option, and everything else or every other solution should come before that.
• Somehow refillable packaging has been looking bulkier and a little confusing vs non-refillable.
• What about making things in larger sizes?

Remember also a year ago when Kim Kardashian launched a beauty range with refillable beauty, there was a huge backlash as the packaging wasn’t really considered refillable but more wasteful, as only over packaging in plastic was used to cover plastic containers, and consumers mostly interpreted this as a PR stunt. As we know, consumers are vocal about beauty and will call out anything that does not make sense.

In Part IV with regulations, we will cover how the regulator is defining “ refillable packaging “ to ensure true transparency and real sustainability benefits using proper refillable beauty products.

Overall consumers want more transparency when it comes to sustainability and refill. Brands need to explain what is the real benefit for the consumers of using refills. The benefit for them and also for the planet.

Also, we keep seeing that consumers tend to feel misled and need to get more information or education about the ins and outs of the products you have developed. A lot of the comments on social media were thankful for these posts and the transparency they brought to them.

We keep explaining to beauty brands that we think the best way to make sustainability true is to explain the current solution and the current options selected by the brand. Sometimes the most obvious choice is not necessarily the best for the consumers and explaining the journeys to selecting a final product: packaging and formula, can be a way to explain to consumers why you packed your product in this jar compared to another.

We’ve also been looking at other posts and comments on social media and overall people are more savvy or ask more questions when something does not look straightforward. We are in the realm of educational and demonstrative marketing and no longer into sales marketing only.

There is definitely an interest and growth in the category with major retailers dedicating pages to refillable Beauty solutions like Cult Beauty in the UK or Sephora in the US to name a few.