Global Beauty Sales Surge 10% With Online Growth Nine Times Faster Than Retail

Digital-First Beauty: E-Commerce Dominates The standout metric from the 2025 report is that online beauty sales are growing nine times faster than in-store purchases globally—jumping by 21% in North America, 20% in Asia Pacific, and 10% in Europe.

Social commerce and mobile-first platforms, especially TikTok Shop, now fuel much of this acceleration. In APAC, digital sales outpace physical retail in both frequency and spend, largely driven by China’s strong digital ecosystem and the rapid ascent of beauty on Douyin (China’s TikTok), which alone grew 49% year-over-year.

Senior NIQ executive Tara James Taylor has said, “Digital-first strategies are now the backbone of beauty retail… Brands must meet consumers where they are—online, on social, and on mobile”.

Consumers Spend More and Buy More Often The sector’s resilience is highlighted by consumers making more shopping trips (+2%), spending more per trip (+8%), and purchasing more items (+2.6%)…