"The 38-year-old Denver resident gets makeup ideas from TikTok videos and other social media content, not salespeople at beauty counters. She uses an AI chatbot to get product recommendations that fit her budget and to see how a certain foundation or lipstick would look on her. When she buys, it's usually from Amazon. "I use Chat GPT as my personal beauty consultant," Kelsey said. "Department stores? I'll walk through one for the decor, but they've basically lost me unless I can get the same product-research experience there that I can get scrolling through my phone at home.""
"Once the ultimate beauty destination, department stores lost sales and their authority as skincare and makeup trendsetters starting in the late 1990s. That was when the growth of Sephora and Ulta Beauty made shopping for cosmetics more of a playful, self-service experience. But fast-changing consumer preferences have all types of retailers racing to outdo each other for a slice of the $129 billion U.S. beauty and personal care market."
Consumers increasingly get makeup ideas from TikTok and social media instead of beauty-counter salespeople. Many use AI chatbots for product recommendations, virtual try-ons, and budget fits, then purchase via platforms like Amazon. Department stores lost trend authority after Sephora and Ulta made cosmetics shopping more self-service and playful in the late 1990s. The ease of e-commerce and social-media-driven guidance has intensified competition across retailers within the $129 billion U.S. beauty and personal care market. Omnichannel retailers and brands are investing in upgraded in-store and online experiences to offer differentiated value beyond scrolling.
Read at Fortune
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