Anyone who’s dragged their trolley down the baked bean aisle will probably agree that the weekly supermarket shop isn’t the most glamorous way to spend your day. Having said that, during lockdown, it suddenly becomes the highlight of our weeks - a beacon of fluorescent light in our otherwise dark days spent indoors.
Plus, supermarkets are taking an increasingly active role in catering to our every need. Many have expanded into tech, clothing and beauty, turning them into department stores in their own right. Nowadays you can pick up bluetooth headphones at the same time as you load up on a new kettle, summer dress and retinol serum. And, with at-home delivery, you can ditch the trolley altogether.
Though our supermarket shop may not be the first place we think of to shop for luxe beauty pick-me-ups and effective skincare solutions, market leaders like Sainsbury’s, M&S and Aldi have been investing heavily to bring us more options than ever. But, what’s behind this shift? Industry insights firm, The Grocer, noted the combination of the lagging high street, a captive audience (well, we're going to the supermarket to buy groceries anyway) and a surge in the beauty category (which is predicted to grow by 17.2% in the next five years) as the main reasons for the change.
And they are smashing it. Taking inspiration from Korean and Japanese beauty, natural beauty, French pharmacies and hot-off-the-press social media trends, the humble supermarket is slowly becoming the go-to place to pick up secret beauty gems.
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Gallery8 PhotosFor skin in need of some serious nourishment, Aldi's Lacura range has achieved cult status in recent years thanks to its hard-working ingredients (caviar extract, anyone?) at lower-than-normal price points. Or for rich, creamy make-up formulas, you can't beat M&S's Autograph line – but did you know the supermarket are big names in skincare now, thanks to their super-effective Formula products?
Yep, forget the naff formulas and cheap packaging of yesteryear, supermarket own-brand beauty ranges now boast products that house some of the most potent ingredients in Insta-worthy packaging. If you ask us, they’re not just competing with high-end competitors, they’ve positioned themselves as pretty strong rivals. Intrigued? Here’s what to look out for…
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