Some 10 weeks ago, online shopping was merely a novelty; a convenient substitute to getting your butt off the couch on Sundays to peruse the aisle of concealers at Boots. The most action it required was a few flicks of your mouse, and the click of a button.

Fast forward to today, and the country's beauty stores and salons remain temporarily closed [1] to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, many for the foreseeable future. For weeks, the world as it was had to adjust to the internet being the only way to buy beauty products. As a result, e-commerce saw approximately a 60 percent growth [2] in year-over-year revenue through March and April.

As of June 15 and per the lockdown lifting phases, more beauty retailers will begin reopening. There will be some tangible differences, of course: employees will be encouraged to wear facial mask [3] coverings and enforce 2 metres of distance, but what they do about in-store testers, where they place the hand sanitiser, and whether they install plastic shield guards at the tills are all factors for consideration. The quiet shuffle of relief in getting back to a sense of normalcy thumps right alongside the fear.

Logistically, mass uncertainty in terms of safety, sanitation, and best in-store practices loom. It begs the question: will people really flock back to retailers so soon post-COVID 19 — and, if they do, what will the beauty experience look like? If they don't, how will demands for online shopping shift? The answer, it seems, isn't so cut-and-dried. Still, experts have some ideas.

Beauty Shopping Prediction: Custom Experiences Will Soar

One thing is for sure: the move to digital won't end when stores reopen. "This is not the death of bricks and mortar retail, it's the end of outdated, static shopping experiences across the board," says Alexia Inge, co-founder of Cult Beauty [4]. Around the world, retailers in countries like Australia consider shifting to online-only business models. In the UK, companies are experimenting with new, custom-driven ways to shop. For cosmetics stores, that might mean providing access to makeup artists online or expanding virtual offerings [5] that act as a stand-in for in-person beauty appointments.

"We are now offering personalised virtual consultations with our No7 and Liz Earle advisors. From tailored product recommendations to application tips, customers can now get expert skincare and make-up advice from our trusted advisors over the phone or a video call, from the comfort of their own home. Online advice and virtual consultations will soon be available from even more of our most-loved brands too," says Joanna Rogers, commercial director and VP of beauty and gifting at Boots [6].

Many brands are also leaning in to tech with try-on tools, like Redken's new virtual hair colour try-on service [7]. Even the world of fragrance is embracing the virtual shopping experience. The Perfume Shop [8] is offering a virtual shopping service where you can live video chat with one of their trained in-store experts to help you discover your new signature scent or a gift for your loved one. While there's obviously nothing like sampling in real life, don't underestimate the power of perfume knowledge. These trained consultants will be able to find your new favourite scent with their expertise alone.

Other companies are rethinking how they communicate with consumers, personalising daily or weekly interactions via text messages. "While that in-store experience can never be exactly replicated, organic skincare line By Sarah London have tried to find new ways to connect with their audience in a more casual setting by starting a WhatsApp group," says Sam Freedman, CEO and co-founder of a Curate Beauty [9], a digital wholesale marketplace for retailers to discover indie beauty brands. "Giving customers first-hand personal responses to any skincare woes directly from a skincare expert and founder, provides for a brilliant customer experience in my eyes," she adds.

Across the pond, brands like Supergoop and Tarte Cosmetics, according to Glossy, saw a 53 percent increase in people signing up for texts.

Beauty Shopping Prediction: Contactless Interactions Will Rise

As online continues to soar, in-store beauty will also have to make moves to stay in the game. "We are now exploring how our customers can enjoy our beauty halls in stores in a socially-distant way as the current crisis leans towards exiting lockdown" says Rogers. "For example, Boots Beauty specialists and advisors will be on hand to offer advice and guidance through touch-free consultations and can chat through hints and tips on application without the need for physical contact."

In addition to in store touch-free consultation, Boots has launched a free virtual consultation service [10], allowing 1:1 time with beauty specialists spanning across hundreds of brands stocked at Boots.

As for online retailers, "creative sampling is going to be crucial for brands going forward now that the future of in-store sampling is so uncertain," says Freedman. "For example, Polish skincare line, Oio Labs [11], offers free samples with every purchase. Kamila Aubre [12], a sustainable fragrance brand, has bundled together sample kits for sale. And new candle brand, 7 Over 7, has created flawless scented wax seals to share their candle scents with customers via post." she adds. The Perfume Shop gives their customers the opportunity to sample three scents with the "Try More Samples" [13] scheme; all customers have to pay is the £3 delivery charge. What's more, if you decide to buy a bottle after testing the sample, you'll receive a 10 percent off voucher to buy the full size version. It might sound simple, but this shows just how successful sampling can be — even for a notoriously difficult product to sell virtually.

Beauty Shopping Prediction: Self-Care Will Take Centre Stage

Many brand owners and beauty buyers we spoke with have also noticed an impending theme in online sales these last few weeks: the emphasis on self-care. It's one that's percolated for the last year but has boomed even more with people spending more time indoors.

"Cult Beauty's skincare sales are up over 150 percent and our wellbeing sub-categories: 'supplements' and 'sleep', have both grown 200 percent year on year", Inge says. "However, the biggest growth has come from 'Bath Oils & Soaks' with a massive 500 percent rise." More specifically, Noah Rosenblatt, the president of Space NK's US business, says face masks and moisturiser have seen a "significant, triple-digit increase during this pandemic."

The spike in self-care sales is one that Freedman can certainly echo: "We've seen an uplift in our home and living category with the search for 'candles' increasing by 134 percent from March to April."

In addition, Curate Beauty has also seen this rise in skincare. "We launched a "Self Care and Love" category at the start of March and have seen a 600 percent increase in clicks on this category from the first two weeks of April, in comparison to the last two weeks of April", says Freedman. "Requests for face masks and facial rollers and gua sha tools have been our highest product categories."

"While we are no longer spending money on going out, consumers are investing in products that optimise the wellbeing of their body, mind, hair and skin," says Inge.

Beauty Shopping Prediction: Product Testing Won't Look the Same

Despite the strict parameters around store hygiene procedures being discussed among beauty retailers, there is no set guidance from the UK government on what to do about product sampling in-store, which means nobody really knows what the future holds — we just know it won't ever be the same.

"We know how important it is to be able to review beauty products in the flesh", says Rogers. "Going forwards we will be looking into the safest way possible to reintroduce this, from sealed, individual samples to disposable, single-use applicators."

But perhaps product testing prepandemic was outdated and needed rethinking anyway. Freedman told POPSUGAR she recently spoke with an up-and-coming lipstick brand who conducted a customer development survey around testers. "The feedback was that customers weren't happy with the current (pre-Covid) options — from poor lighting to awkwardness of testing in store."

For online retailers, testing has been an ever-present challenge. "We offer services such as Beauty Kit, Pick & Mix and sampling as another service to provide beauty products for our customers to discover before investing in the full-sized product, explains Nigel Lawmon, commercial director at Feelunique [14].

Virtual try-ons can certainly help with that for purchases like lipstick, but certain products — like fragrance — simply require the sensorial experience, meaning businesses have to get a little more creative.

Still, this newfound focus on cleanliness will likely drive more sanitary initiatives across the board, both from brands and shoppers. An example? L'Occitane launched its Duolab skincare device [15], which creates a custom moisturiser from encapsulated airtight pods that are clipped into it. The blending happens inside the tool — meaning the formula never comes into contact with air until you apply it to your skin.

Beauty Shopping Prediction: Hair Products Will Continue Flying off (Virtual) Shelves

No celebrity hair tutorial will replace your hairstylist or colourist, but in the months without professional services to lean on, people were forced to become more well-versed in at-home beauty maintenance. This ultimately changed what people were searching for.

There's no category that's seen a bigger shift of late than hair care. For many online retailers product demand has been through the roof. "During lockdown, sales across Boots' hair colour category has definitely grown, and there's no sign of this trend slowing down, with 'hair dye' being the most popular search term on our website this week," explains Rogers.

In addition to hair colour, consumers have turned to their attention to trichology. "'Treatments' and 'Scalp Care' has seen the biggest boost on Cult Beauty with 177 percent sales growth year on year", says Inge. "Consumers understand that the skin on their forehead doesn't stop at the hairline."

Beauty Shopping Prediction: Online Reviews Will Be More Important Than Ever

The issue of fake beauty reviews [16] has been a concern of online retailers for years, but the recent influx of foot traffic to websites (combined with the devastating rise in unemployment numbers) makes spreading the good word on products actually worth purchasing all the more important. "There is no replacement for firsthand knowledge and personal recommendations," says Rob Gross, cofounder and COO of Fakespot, a platform that uses data extraction and algorithm engines to detect unauthentic reviews. "Always stick with the brands you know and trust recommendations from your friends who have actually spent their hard-earned money and used the product. This reduces the bias from paid reviewers and usually gets you something that you would like."

In fact, online reviews are the very backbone of many retailers. "[Reviews] are an essential tool in letting our customers understand whether a product is right for them, it is a crucial part of our content strategy," explains Lawmon.

Freedman agrees, also making the point that reviews shouldn't stop at online platforms. "Generation Z and millennials are also researching so much more before they make a purchase, so I think it would be great to see these digital reviews come to life and be present in stores with iPads at counters."

"In the last 6 weeks 74 percent of the brands signed up to Curate Beauty have been British."

Beauty Shopping Prediction: Shopping Locally Will Become a Proactive Choice

If we've learnt one thing from the pandemic it's that community spirit is alive and well up and down the UK. Shopping local hasn't just become an option, it's become a proactive choice, and this extends to our beauty shopping habits [17]. The numbers reflect this, too. "In the last 6 weeks 74 percent of the brands signed up to Curate Beauty have been British," says Freedman.

"I think we will all be much more conscious to keep things local and shop from British brands. While that messaging hit home through our food supplies a few years ago, I think it will definitely be something at the forefront of shoppers' minds across all categories, and especially beauty. Not only can they provide faster delivery times, and reduce carbon footprint, but I also think customers will be conscious about ways in which they can contribute to the local economy with every purchase."

— Additional reporting by Tori Crowther

POPSUGAR aims to give you the most accurate and up-to-date information about the coronavirus, but details and recommendations about this pandemic may have changed since publication. For the latest information on COVID-19, please check out resources from the WHO [18] and the NHS [19].