Refillable Beauty. What does the market say?

The pharma-recharge consortium, as well as the FEBEA have both published their recent surveys about refillable beauty. Pharm-recharge is a group of companies that have developed by 5 French for the retail segment of pharmacies, allowing consumers to refill their beauty product on demand. 

Pharma-Recharge, a refillable beauty initiative in French pharmacies

Launched in June 2023, the pharma-recharge initiative is led by 5 brands which are mainly distributed in pharmacies. WIth Garancia (Unilever Prestige), Bioderma (NAOS), Pierre Fabre, La Rosée and Mustela (Laboratoires Expanscience), the initiative intends to release a refillable beauty format accessible to all in the french extensive pharmacy network

re-sourcesEva Lagarde

Findings in pharmacies

Pharma-recharge reveals that in may 2024, the average refill rate in 6 pharmacies was 63%. With buyer satisfaction rated at 8.4/10*. And that 50% of consumers ware illing to buy bulk in pharmacies***; phase 2 confirms the initiative's potential

The project started in 2023, and as early as the first phase, the main reasons for buying** were:

• 30% - ecology
• 21% - desire for novelty
• 22% - familiarity with the product

Finding from Fébéa, in France

On another note, the FEBEA survey, conducted by Senseva, explores consumer adoption of cosmetic refills, identifying motivations, perceptions, and barriers to purchase. The study surveyed 2251 women who use cosmetics and conducted 4 focus groups of 8 consumers.

Key findings include that 59% of French cosmetics consumers have purchased refills in the past year. Two main consumer groups have been identified in this research. Two main segments of refill purchasers are the "Beautistas & Tendance" (22% - (younger, high-frequency consumers, influenced by promotions and novelty) and the "Green & Clean Beauty" (23% - older, primarily motivated by ecological concerns).

Consumers recognise two main refill mechanisms: Pouches (especially with caps) are the most recognized and purchased refill type (72%), followed by cuttable pouches (64%). Both pourable (44%) and insertable (38%) refill mechanisms are accepted.

The primary perceived benefits of refills are environmental impact reduction (70%), cost savings (64%), and practicality (39%).

The main obstacles, meaning the biggest barriers to purchasing refills are 

• unavailability/lack of awareness (44%), 
• concerns about product waste (32%), 
• hygiene issues (19%).

The survey also identified high potential for refillables in hygiene products, hair care, body and face care, makeup removers, and perfumes, which have currently been developed on the market.

Levers for action

Following this survey, Fébéa also identifies several levers for action to encourage the wider adoption of cosmetic refills.

• Improved in-store and online availability, clear information on the ecological and economic benefits, and adapted formats (large capacity, on-the-go formats) are all high on the list of expectations.
• Attractive pricing, particularly for consumers looking for low prices, also appears to be a determining factor (63%).
• Product and packaging innovation, in particular the development of stopper pouches, as well as targeted communication via social networks and beauty influencers, are effective ways of raising awareness of the benefits and use of refills.
• The Importance of working together on the refill and the reusable container, in order to guarantee an optimal user experience and limit product waste. The success of cosmetic refills will depend on an innovative, visible offer adapted to each product category, as well as positive, educational communication and