Shoppers waiting for January bargains in beauty gift sets are going to have to work harder than they used to.
In the last pre-pandemic January sales (2020), 81% of gift packs were on promo according to data shared with Retail Week by Kantar. By last year, that share had dropped to less than half. The same trend is clear – though less pronounced – in the latest data for the four weeks to January 8, 2025 (which includes Boxing Day sales, but Christmas too).
This all forms part of a strategic move by beauty retailers to make these product collections seem like a gift worth giving, according to Matthew Maxwell, business unit director for health and beauty at Kantar.
“If categories like gift packs are promoted too heavily then if you receive that as a gift…it doesn’t feel very special.” He adds that retailers have also got a lot more savvy with their stock levels in recent years too.
Some bargains are still there though, even in February. Boots just launched its winter clearance sale last week, with discounts reaching up to 80%.
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