If you feel like customers are taking longer to convert, you're not imagining it.
According to BoF-McKinsey (2025), half of global beauty consumers now conduct "extensive research" before buying. PowerReviews' survey of 21,279 shoppers found 76% are scrutinising products more carefully in the current economic climate - climbing to 84% among Gen Z.
Hardly a surprise. The younger demographic has never known shopping without infinite alternatives, ingredient comparison tools, and someone on TikTok telling them a $12 dupe performs identically to the $85 original.
How Long the Journey Has Become
Where a cold audience once needed around 7 touchpoints to convert, current estimates put that figure at 20 or more.
42% of shoppers read between 6 and 10 reviews before purchasing, and nearly a third read 11 to 25.
That's before a single application demo, Reddit deep-dive, or cross-retailer price check enters the equation.
A customer might discover your product on a Tuesday. Compare it against alternatives over the following week. Then purchase ten days later after a promotional email landed at exactly the right moment.
Why Consumers Are Taking Longer
It all comes down to perceived value - and lower consumer trust.
When 63% of shoppers no longer believe premium brands outperform mass, and 24% have actively switched to more affordable products, splashing the cash on a pricier product must be justified first.
A credible review, a before-and-after from someone with the same skin type, a dermatologist co-sign, or at minimum a disappointing dupe to rule out.
What This Means for Your Marketing
For brands, this changes what marketing actually needs to do.
You need to anticipate and join in on the conversation your customers are already having in their heads. Conversions stall at the exact points where they still have unanswered questions.
The brands gaining traction are building reassurance over time - reviews that feel current, UGC that rings true, education that earns trust before it asks for the sale. The purchase is still happening - consumers are just insisting on being ready for it first.
What This Means For Your Email Marketing
A 20-touchpoint buying journey means your welcome sequence needs to do heavy lifting over a longer period. Stop hitting new subscribers with a hard "Buy Now" barrage on day two.
Instead, structure your foundational flows to methodically answer objections, serve up targeted reviews, and educate on formulation across weeks, not days. If consumers are doing extensive research, your emails should be serving that research directly to them.