💄 Beauty Dupe Consumer Behaviour Analysis 📌 Project Overview

This project investigates the factors driving the rapid growth of beauty dupes and examines how changing consumer purchasing behaviour is affecting premium beauty brands. Using secondary market research, pricing analysis and consumer behaviour data, the project identifies the key drivers behind brand switching and provides strategic recommendations for premium brands to remain competitive.

🎯 Business Problem

Premium beauty brands are experiencing increasing competition from lower-cost alternatives that offer similar perceived quality at significantly lower prices. As consumers become more price-conscious and digitally informed, traditional brand loyalty is weakening, creating new challenges for premium brands seeking to justify higher prices.

🎯 Project Objectives Compare prices between premium beauty products and dupe alternatives. Analyse how price sensitivity influences purchasing behaviour. Investigate the impact of economic conditions and social media on consumer decision-making. Identify the key factors encouraging consumers to switch brands. Develop strategic recommendations for premium beauty brands.

🛠 Tools Used Microsoft Excel – Data cleaning, calculations, PivotTables and charts. Microsoft Word – Research report and business recommendations.

📊Excel Process Imported and cleaned pricing data. Calculated the price difference using =B2-C2. Created charts to visualise premium vs dupe pricing. Keyboard Shortcuts Ctrl + T – Convert data into a table. Ctrl + D – Fill formulas down. Ctrl + Shift + L – Apply/remove filters. Alt + = – AutoSum.

📊 Analysis Process Collected secondary data from industry reports and consumer research. Compared pricing between premium beauty products and dupe alternatives. Analysed consumer behaviour using published survey data. Created data visualisations in Excel to identify purchasing trends. Interpreted findings and translated them into business recommendations.

🔍 Key Findings Premium beauty products were consistently priced significantly higher than comparable dupes, creating a strong financial incentive for consumers to switch. Consumers are increasingly making value-driven purchasing decisions based on price, perceived quality and product performance rather than brand prestige. Rising living costs have increased price sensitivity, while social media has improved awareness and credibility of dupe products. Consumers remain engaged with the beauty market but increasingly seek discounts, promotions and lower-cost alternatives. Premium brands must strengthen product differentiation and clearly communicate their value proposition to maintain customer loyalty.

💼 Business Recommendations Invest in product innovation and differentiation. Improve communication of product quality and premium value. Strengthen digital marketing and social media engagement. Introduce more accessible pricing strategies, such as travel sizes or entry-level product ranges.

📈 Skills Demonstrated Consumer Behaviour Analysis Market Research Business Analysis Data Analysis Data Visualisation Pricing Analysis Strategic Thinking Business Reporting Insight Generation Microsoft Excel 💡 What I Learned

Through this project, I strengthened my ability to transform secondary market research into actionable business insights. I developed experience analysing consumer behaviour, interpreting pricing data and connecting multiple datasets to identify market trends. The project also reinforced the importance of moving beyond descriptive analysis by explaining the commercial implications of the findings and producing evidence-based recommendations for business decision-making.