Flipkart is betting on smaller, affordable pack sizes of premium skincare to drive growth in its beauty and personal care (BPC) vertical, as demand from Tier 2 cities and Gen Z shoppers see sharp growth.
By offering 10 ml face serums and 50 ml face washes at lower price points, the e-commerce major is attracting first-time beauty buyers to experiment with a new range of products without steep upfront costs.
For instance, a 30 ml bottle of a face serum could easily cost upwards of Rs 500-600. For this category, Flipkart is offering 10 ml bottles from brands such as Garnier, Pilgrim, Minimalist, Deconstruct, Derma Co, Mamaearth and Good Vibes, among others, that costs anywhere between Rs 120-300.
Tier 2 consumers
“Just like sachets brought shampoo into Indian homes, we are now seeing 10 ml serums and 50 ml facewashes bring premium skincare within reach of Tier 2 consumers,” Kartheek Kanumuru, who heads Flipkart’s beauty and personal care category, said. “This sachet-ification is helping us recruit millions of customers into premium categories.”
Beauty and personal care is now among Flipkart’s fastest-growing verticals, more than doubling in size over the past year. Flipkart plans to nudge entry-level buyers towards higher-value purchases in the Rs 1,000–1,500 range, while also deepening its niche offerings in areas such as curly hair care, dermatologist-recommended products, and Ayurvedic products.
Kanumuru, says the demand is particularly strong among 16-20-year-old women in Tier 2 markets who are often breaking away from what the family typically uses, i.e. soap and moisturiser. They are buying their own products for the first time online and upgrading quickly from essentials to serums, sunscreens, conditioners, and hair treatments.
Mall-like platform
Flipkart’s positioning as a “mall-like platform,” Kanumuru adds, where consumers shop for mobiles, clothes, and beauty products in one place, gives it an edge over specialist players such as Nykaa and Tira. The platform currently lists between 10,000 and 15,000 beauty brands, spanning everything from homegrown Ayurvedic startups to global giants, with over six million products on offer.
The company is working closely with brands to launch entry-point SKUs exclusively for Flipkart.“We are able to democratise premiumisation by offering affordable price points, while also expanding the categories consumers use,” Kanumuru said, in an interaction with Fe.
Beyond sachetisation several new beauty trends are shaping demand. Haircare is emerging as the next big subcategory, with scalp-focused products, such as hair serums, masks, and even roll-on treatments seeing 2-3x growth.
Within skincare, sunscreens and serums are the fastest-growing sub-categories, while fragrances are seeing an upgrade from deodorants to perfumes. Foundations and lip products too increasingly include skincare benefits such as vitamin C infusion.
Flipkart has also leaned into the Korean beauty wave. While these products are typically priced at above Rs 1,000, the company is working with brands to make them more affordable for Indian consumers. “A lot of categories in India are still very under-penetrated, so what we want to focus on is to offer the first trial in multiple categories to the consumer,” he added.