Beauty Products Discount Trends: What Charm.io Data Really Shows

Over the past nine months, discounting has played a massive role in how beauty products are priced, perceived, and purchased. If you're in the industry or just watching the market closely, understanding beauty products discount trends isn't optional—it's a must.

Discounting Is Widespread, but Not Predictable

Based on Charm.io data from August 2024 to March 2025, the average weighted discount rate across all beauty products landed at 14.1%. But what’s striking is how uneven those discounts were month-to-month.

September 2024 jumped out with an unusually high 25.3% average discount—more than double the overall mean. This was likely driven by aggressive seasonal promotions or inventory clearance ahead of holiday launches. However, the discounting dropped off quickly.

By November, which is usually packed with promotional activity due to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the discount rate dropped to just 0.81%. That figure flips conventional logic on its head. Most assume November is the peak of discount season, but this data shows otherwise.

This trend reveals a major shift: brands are not just sticking to calendar-based sale patterns. Instead, they’re optimizing for different cycles—possibly based on inventory levels, ad performance, or even influencer-led product drops. For consumers and marketers alike, this means you can’t rely on the calendar anymore. Tracking real-time behavior is now more important than anticipating traditional sales events.

Nearly Half of Products Are Discounted

Of all beauty products sold, 47% had some kind of discount. That’s almost one in two items, which shows that offering a beauty products discount isn’t just an occasional strategy—it’s baked into the way brands sell. Discounts are no longer rare promotions—they’re a consistent part of retail behavior.

Why so many discounts? Three core reasons stand out. First, competition is stiff. With countless beauty brands fighting for visibility online and in-store, slashing prices helps get products off shelves and into carts. Second, it drives sales volume. A modest markdown can trigger impulse purchases or help customers justify trying new products. And third, it’s often about inventory management. Retailers might discount to clear seasonal stock or make room for newer releases.

But it’s not just how many products are discounted—it’s how deeply. Look at the discount curve: September 2024 had a sharp 25.3% average markdown across the board. That signals a deliberate push—possibly tied to Q4 prep, seasonal shifts, or aggressive acquisition tactics. On the other hand, months like January 2025 also showed high activity, with a 20.46% average discount rate, suggesting the post-holiday period remained highly promotional.

So while nearly half of products are discounted, the strategy behind each markdown varies by month, objective, and category. Brands are clearly using beauty products discount tactics with intention—and increasingly with data to back them up.

Subcategory Discounting Reveals a Split Strategy

Not all beauty products are treated the same when it comes to markdowns. The data reveals clear variations in the average beauty products discount depending on the type of item being sold. Here’s the breakdown:

• Eye & Ear Care – 22.2%
• Personal Care Appliances – 20.4%

• Skincare – 12.5%
• Haircare & Styling – 12.5%
• Men's Care – 12.7%

This 10-point swing between the most and least discounted categories tells a bigger story about pricing strategy. Categories like Eye & Ear Care and Personal Care Appliances likely experience heavier discounting due to higher price points and more elasticity in demand. These items might be viewed as optional or luxury by shoppers, making discounts more effective in driving purchase decisions.

In contrast, skincare and haircare products—used regularly and considered essential by many—don’t need deep discounts to sell. Consumers tend to be more brand-loyal in these segments, sticking with trusted names even without markdowns. These products are also frequently purchased on routine schedules, meaning brands can rely on consistent demand without needing to heavily promote them.

Moreover, low-discount categories may offer brands better margins, allowing them to remain profitable without resorting to frequent sales. Discounting too heavily could dilute a premium brand’s positioning, especially in skincare, where perceived quality is tightly linked to price.

So while every category falls under the broad umbrella of beauty, each plays by a different pricing rulebook. Brands must tailor their beauty products discount strategy based on consumer expectations, product lifecycle, and competitive positioning within each segment.

The Bigger Picture: Strategic Discounting

Zooming out from the month-by-month fluctuations and category breakdowns, a few key insights emerge about the nature of beauty products discount trends.

• Brands are experimenting more than ever. They’re testing discount depths, timings, and product categories to see what actually moves the needle. These aren't random decisions—they’re built on performance data and competitive pressure.
• Timing isn’t a reliable tool anymore. The near-flat discount activity in November shows that legacy patterns like Black Friday-centric promotions can’t be taken for granted. Some brands are skipping crowded sale periods to stand out on their own terms.
• Category dictates pricing behavior. Shoppers might wait for a 20% discount on skincare that never arrives. Meanwhile, less essential or higher-margin categories are marked down more often and more deeply.

What This Means for Brands and Shoppers

For shoppers, the message is clear: stop waiting for blanket discounts. They might never come, especially on products with steady demand or premium brand positioning.

For brands, this data confirms that pricing strategy needs to evolve. The spray-and-pray model of discounting is outdated. Today, success lies in targeting the right segment, at the right time, with the right markdown. Data from platforms like Charm.io can make or break this approach, offering real-time visibility into what competitors are doing and when to act.

As pricing gets smarter, discounting becomes less about urgency and more about efficiency. It’s no longer just about moving units—it’s about shaping perception, maximizing margin, and retaining loyalty without racing to the bottom.

What Charm.io Reveals About the Future of Beauty Product Discounting

The beauty products discount game is clearly shifting—and the data from Charm.io makes that impossible to ignore. Pricing is no longer driven by tradition or seasons alone. Brands are turning to data to guide when, where, and how much to discount.

Discounting patterns have become more targeted and strategic. Subcategories play by different rules. Deep cuts aren’t guaranteed—even during peak shopping months. What’s happening now is a smarter, more analytical approach to markdowns, powered by tools that track competitive behavior in real time.

If you're in e-commerce or retail, this isn't just a trend to observe—it’s a strategy to adopt. Charm.io's insights can help decode what competitors are doing and when the smartest moves happen. That edge can mean the difference between flat sales and breakthrough results.

Request a demo to see how Charm.io gives you competitive insights, and real-time data on product trends—so you can make smarter, faster decisions that drive growth.