The beauty and fashion industries in India are witnessing massive growth on the back of increasing digital adoption and the evolving consumer behavior. To further empower these businesses with key insights that spur their growth, we are unveiling findings from two Meta-commissioned studies* by online insights platform GWI.

These studies reveal the impactful role of Meta platforms, especially Instagram Reels, in brand and product discovery within the beauty and the fashion sector. Moreover, they highlight the increasing role of creators and augmented reality (AR) in influencing purchase decisions.

Meghna Apparao, Director, E-commerce and Retail for Meta in India, said, “The insights reveal the extent to which immersive technologies such as AR, and content creators are disrupting the expanding beauty and fashion industries in India. Both beauty and fashion verticals are growing strongly on Meta platforms and an increasing number of advertisers from these verticals are turning to Instagram Reels for engagement and business growth.”

Key Insights from the Meta-Commissioned Studies by GWI:

• Online shopping trends: Both reports reveal that consumers are increasingly shopping online for their beauty and fashion purchases. 41% of beauty buyers prefer to shop online due to deals/discounts, and 40% due to convenience. When it comes to fashion consumers, 38% shop online due to good ratings/reviews and 37% for deals/discounts.
• Meta’s role in beauty and fashion discovery: Meta plays a crucial role in assisting our users in discovering new beauty and fashion brands and products. The research shows that 80% of the beauty shoppers and 76% of the fashion shoppers discover beauty and fashion brands respectively on social media platforms. Out of these, 92% find beauty and 97% find fashion brands through Meta platforms. Instagram Reels plays a leading role in this discovery with 33.3% (1 in 3) of beauty consumers and 39% of fashion consumers purchasing products after watching Instagram Reels.
• AR appeal: A majority of consumers are already aware of AR technology, with 75% of beauty and 78% of fashion consumers stating that virtual product try-ons encourage them to make online purchases.
• Content creators: Despite the rise of creators worldwide, consumers in India rely on Indian creators for authentic information and reviews. The data shows that 7 out of 10 beauty content viewers and 2 out of 3 fashion content viewers watch Indian influencers, which has a big impact on their buying decisions. The study shows that lack of reviews is just as bad as negative ones, which again underscores the importance of influencers.

As the digital economy of India continues to skyrocket, the evolving technology and customer behaviour have opened countless opportunities for several industries. The insights revealed by these studies can empower brands from these industries to create marketing campaigns that are more likely to connect with their customers and deliver key business outcomes.

*Fashion report: The survey was conducted with 2,000+ respondents aged 18-64 from tier 1, tier 2, and metro cities in India.| Beauty report: This survey was conducted with 2,000 + respondents aged 16-64 from 74 cities in India.