A recent study conducted by consumer research platform GWI reveals that over 80% of surveyed consumers in India made beauty product purchases, citing influence from Meta’s Facebook and Instagram reels.

The survey spanned 74 cities and included participation from over 2,000 consumers aged between 6 and 64 years.

The Meta GWI Beauty Report 2023 emphasizes that 47% of surveyed consumers reported discovering new products through social media reels. Additionally, one in three individuals mentioned making beauty product purchases specifically through Instagram reels.

The report highlights a notable change in consumer preferences following the pandemic. Presently, 68% of beauty buyers are opting for online purchases, indicating a 15% increase from the pre-pandemic era.

According to the study, nearly 92% of surveyed consumers discover beauty products through Meta platforms, with Instagram reels accounting for 47%. Remarkably, almost one-third of the surveyed consumers make online beauty purchases on a weekly basis.

Meta India’s director for ecommerce and retail Meghna Apparao said, “Both beauty and fashion verticals are growing rapidly on Meta, with an increasing number of advertisers using Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to engage with customers. Social media transformed the purchase experience and journey for these industries, creating an urgent need for brands and marketers to engage with consumers differently, especially during the ongoing festive and upcoming wedding season.”

The study also discovered that Indian consumers heavily depend on content from local creators for authentic information and reviews.

Meta’s initiatives have contributed to the growing popularity of reels among buyers. In the previous year, Meta announced its intention to discontinue Facebook’s Live Shopping feature in favor of prioritizing reels. During that announcement, it was stated that users would no longer have the capability to create product playlists or tag products in Facebook Live videos.