One of the things noted in the observation had to do with the fact that older shoppers, those between the ages of 28-34 years of age, knew exactly what they wanted to buy and did not waste a lot of time in the aisles. Younger shoppers, typically browsed a little bit longer unsure of what to buy. The younger shoppers were more rational and emotional when it came to their shopping habits. The older women had more of an impulsive and habitual way of shopping and they knew exactly what they wanted and quickly left the aisle.
The bulk of the purchases ranged from Maybelline products such as mascara, foundation, gel-eyeliner, lipstick and powder. Other shoppers browsed beauty products such as CoverGirl, E.L.F., Rimmel and NYX and a few made cosmetics purchases from CoverGirl and E.L.F. Further observations revealed that some of the shoppers utilized their phones scanning items on their phone for discount purposes and there were a few who consulted with their accompanied friend or family member and a sales person at the store about beauty product usage.
Interviews
Team Maybelline conducted qualitative interviews with women primarily between the ages of 15-45 years of age to examine and identify the perception of the brands they use. These interviews were conducted in various cities throughout the United States at various stores such as CVS, Target and ULTA.
The qualitative interviews revealed the overall buying behaviors included: brands, packaging, quality, price and social media, just to name a few. Brand, quality of the products, pricing and packaging, scored highly with all of those interviewed. The brand itself is the driving force behind which cosmetics line works best. Interestingly, regarding product usage, only one female participant used Maybelline products due to the quality of the concealer. The remaining female participants used various brands because of coverage and quality, perhaps the reason is due to the fact of the age group they fall under.
Most women said they purchased makeup either when they run out of their favorite product or if they see something they like on a friend or relative. Star power had somewhat of an influence among the participants, mainly for the women in their 20’s.