(Photo : Getty Images/Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP)
A photo taken on November 17, 2023 shows the logo of US online social media and social networking service Facebook on a smartphone screen in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany.

Most beauty and fashion shoppers in India find brands on Meta platforms, according to a new study commissioned by the tech giant.

Meta recently published two reports mapping the purchasing behavior of beauty and fashion consumers in India. Over 2,000 shoppers between the ages of 6 and 64 across 74 cities in the country were surveyed by consumer insights platform GWI in June for the study. 

The Meta GWI Beauty Report 2023 highlighted the influence of Meta platforms -- particularly Instagram Reels -- in shaping beauty and fashion purchases in India, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Both beauty and fashion verticals are growing strongly on Meta platforms, and an increasing number of advertisers from these verticals are turning to Instagram Reels for engagement and business growth," Meta India's director of ecommerce and retail, Meghna Apparao, said of the study's findings, according to Entrepreneur India. 

Meta found that the percentage of beauty customers who now favor online shopping rose to 68%, 15% higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Here are other findings from the reports.

Discovery and purchases of beauty products on social media

According to the beauty report, 80% of consumers surveyed discover beauty brands on social media, with 92% of them doing so on Meta platforms. Of this figure, 47% discover brands through Instagram Reels.

The report also showed that 33% of beauty purchases were influenced by content on the short-form video platform following the initial product discovery.

Discovery and purchases of fashion products on social media

The findings of the fashion study revealed that 76% of consumers come across fashion brands on social media, with 97% discovering them through Meta platforms.

Of this figure, 52% discover fashion brands on Instagram Reels, and 39% went on to purchase items after finding them on the platform, the report said.

Augmented reality (AR) influence

The reports also underscored the growing impact of augmented reality (AR) on beauty and fashion purchases.

The beauty report indicated that 80% of beauty consumers are aware of the existence of AR, and 75% said that virtual try-ons, particularly for lipsticks, encouraged them to buy the products online.

Meanwhile, 78% of fashion consumers claimed that virtual try-ons for clothing and other items made it more likely for them to purchase products.

Content creators as pivotal decision influencers

The reports highlighted the ability of content creators to drive purchases for beauty and fashion brands, with 66% of individuals surveyed saying they follow influencers who impact their purchasing decisions.

According to Forbes, India has the highest number of Facebook users in the world, with a staggering 448.1 million users in 2023.

Instagram is the most utilized social media platform in India as of 2023, boasting 74.7% of internet users registered. There are over 500 million active Instagram users in the country.