Who's actually buying, and why now
how people across asia shop for health and beauty products, and why one bottle feels trustworthy while another feels like marketing.
shelves full of promises.
between the packaging and the price tag, people decide what fits who they are or want to be. we looked at how packaging builds trust, how wellness shifts across generations, and why some people shop by label, some by ingredient, and, increasingly, by vibe.
we started wide, then moved closer.
- weeks 1 to 3Surveyfielded across singapore to map buying habits.
- weeks 3 to 4Recruitment & guidesbriefed the vendor on younger and older shopper groups, and wrote a separate discussion guide for each.
- week 5Focus groups, in one weekyounger shoppers on ginseng and collagen in the same basket, older shoppers on longevity and habit, all run back to back.
- weeks 6 to 7Channel review & analysiscompared online and offline journeys to see where trust was won and lost, and pulled the groups and survey together.
- week 8Debrieffindings on trust cues and what each channel does, for fairprice's category team.
health had become identity.
younger shoppers used these products to signal what they care about. "clean" and natural were about values more than taste: 45% said they'd trust a product more if it looked and felt clean. and where people bought told us about life stage and social proof as much as convenience.
fairprice grew the category.
health and beauty has expanded considerably since, with its own brands range and partnerships aimed at specific wellness needs. its retail media now uses shopper data to spot trends and category gaps.