According to a report from Canadean, the value of the make-up market in Brazil will increase from BRL 7.1 billion (US$3.2 billion) in 2013 to BRL 13.4 billion (US$5.1 billion) by the end of 2018.
This is all whilst the rest of the economy in Brazil is on a downward spiral, as it has been registering negative economic growth in three of the last four quarters.
According to the market researcher this shows that the Brazilian make-up market is booming even in times of low consumer confidence and in poorer areas of the country.
Desire
Canadean’s figures suggest that the desire to look beautiful is a strong driver behind the growth in the Brazilian make-up market, motivating 21.4% of make-up consumption.
It also finds that Brazilian women applied a make-up product 24 billion times in 2013, accounting for 85% of all make-up applications.
“Young women seek a professional image in the workplace and are more willing to experiment for special occasions. They are also more likely to follow the fashion, regularly changing their make-up look to keep up with the latest trends,” comments Kirsty Nolan, analyst at Canadean.
Direct selling
So, how best to target consumers in Brazil? Canadean suggests that direct selling is the best way forward as it is currently the most popular method in the country.
This has seen direct sellers such as Avon, Natura and Sephora lead the way and also establish their own private label brands that can not only offer consumers a good range of products straight to their door at affordable prices, but they also have more control over profit margins.
“International make-up brands need to adopt some of these principles in order to succeed in the Brazilian make-up market,” says Nolan.
“Products need to be affordable and attainable for young women. Effective channels of distribution, such as agreements with established direct sellers or relationships with local shops and salons, are the key to success."