Saudi Arabia E-Commerce Cosmetics and Fragrances Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Saudi Arabia e-commerce cosmetics and fragrances market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.72% during the forecast period (2020 - 2025).

Key Highlights

• Saudi Arabia has one of the prominent markets for cosmetics and fragrances products in the Middle East. Consumers in the country tend to spend substantially on their personal appearance, thereby, supplementing the growth of the cosmetic and fragrances market in the country.
• The country has witnessed a significant growth in online sales of cosmetics and fragrances, especially among women and millennials, due to more financial empowerment and employment opportunities for women.
• Furthermore, with the rising active social media users, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, there has been an increased awareness about the cosmetics and fragrance products among consumers, in the country.
• The high percentage of Muslim population in the country has resulted in the rise in demand for halal cosmetics and fragrances. Such factors have provided opportunity for global brands and online retailers to expand their offerings to capture the demand.

Key Market Trends

Rising Number of Active Social Media Users

In Saudi Arabia, the strong internet penetration had majorly contributed in driving awareness about cosmetics and beauty products, among consumers. The country has the highest number of active social media users in the region on various social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. Furthermore, the country also has the global highest YouTube watch time per capita. Over this platform, the beauty focused content has attracted over 1.9 billion views, and this figure has been rising at a rate of almost 187% each year, according to a KSA beauty market White paper. Having gained their popularity through social media, the Arabian beauty influencers are slowly becoming today’s most modern entrepreneurs. These influencers have been redefining the industry and are driving the demand for beauty products in the country. For instance, Huda Kattan, one of the world’s first and biggest beauty influencers turned businesswoman has bee leading her USD 1 billion brand, Huda Beauty, which has been dominating the color cosmetic market.

Fragrance Segment Dominate the Market Share

Perfumes are used by both women and men, and they signify the consumer's personality, style, and individuality. Historically, there has been an inclination for exotic ouds and fine perfumes in Saudi Arabia, which has attracted numerous international perfume manufacturers to invest in the region. On account of this, Saudi Arabia has established itself as a major hub for the creation of trendsetting perfumes. A shift in consumers’ preferences for natural perfumes over synthetic perfumes led to the introduction of oud-based perfumes by several western brands. This is further supported by increasing promotional campaigns by the manufacturers. The potential of the fragrance market segment has also led the Middle Eastern luxury distribution group, Chalhoub, to create its own brand of oriental fragrance called Ghawali, in 2016, under the luxury fragrance segment. The new brand intends to present a traditional product in a contemporary manner. Like most other oriental fragrance brands, the product was retailed through the company’s own standalone store network. Currently, the company is planning to sell its product on the online platform with an aim to broaden its customer base and geographical presence, after achieving success in the offline platform.

Competitive Landscape

The KSA e-commerce cosmetics and fragrances market is highly competitive with the presence of key players such as Ajmal International Trading Co. LLC, Sephora, Amazon.com, Inc., Awok.com, Golden Scent, and M - A - C Cosmetics Inc. There’s an increase in internet penetration rate along with the number of shoppers in the region. Further, consumers are also warming up to the idea of online shopping, although the tradition of brick and mortar shopping remains prominent. The key strategies adopted by the companies operating in Saudi Araba E-commerce cosmetics and fragrances market include expansions, new launch, partnerships, among others. Companies are venturing and expanding their business into the Saudi Arabia market, pertaining to the high demand for cosmetics and fragrance via online retail channels. For instance, AWOK.com, the United Arab Emirate’s largest e-commerce player, ventured into Saudi Arabia. With this new development, customers will now be able to purchase the products of their choice from the AWOK KSA.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support