Inspiring Consumers to Buy Refills: How Refills Have the Potential to Change the Market

Inspiring consumers to buy refills—what will it take? What should beauty brands be doing? Mintel’s Lauren Ryder, Global Packaging Analyst, explains this. Read on.

Refillable packaging is moving beyond a niche sustainability story in beauty into a design and business model shift. Specifically in fragrance and color cosmetics, the opportunity is clear. Refill systems can preserve the luxury and “premiumness” consumers expect from their beauty products. At the same time, they reduce the amount of packaging that consumers throw away after brief use. 

Prestige color cosmetics and fragrance balance sustainability with luxury. Prestige brands are investing in durable, high-quality primary packaging designed for long-term reuse. Many brands are shifting their material-reduction efforts toward lightweight refills, delivering lifecycle material savings without diluting premium cues.

Inspiring Consumers to Buy Refills with Frictionless Design

But the next wave of refill innovation won’t be won by sustainability messaging alone. It will be won by frictionless design and clear value.

For consumers, refills must solve real pain points. There is the mess, confusion, hygiene concerns, and the worry that a refill will feel “less than” the original. The most compelling designs treat refilling as part of the product experience. They are clean, intuitive, and nearly foolproof.

Think intuitive cartridge designs that “click-lock” into place. Or, closures that prevent leaks. There are also mechanisms that reduce touchpoints so consumers don’t feel like they need a tutorial (or a funnel). When refilling is effortless, it becomes a habit, not a chore.

“The next wave of refill innovation won’t be won by sustainability messaging alone. It will be won by frictionless design and clear value.”

—Lauren Ryder, Packaging Analyst, Mintel

More Secrets to Making Refillable Packaging a Success

The second unlock for brands to implement successful refillable solutions is incentive.

Beauty shoppers may admire sustainability, but they still respond most strongly to value cues. To entice consumers to purchase refills, brands should consider offering a better price per ounce, a refill discount at checkout, loyalty points, or a “buy X refills, get one free” reward.

Incentives also create repeat behavior. This is how refills can truly change the market—turning a one-time purchase into a relationship.

A key opportunity lies in removing friction from the refill journey. This means clearly signaling when to replenish using on-pack indicators, smart packaging, or integrated omnichannel engagement.

The Bottom Line

With EPR and PPWR raising the stakes and potentially rewarding reuse with better packaging grades, refills can become both a consumer-friendly and business-smart strategy.

The brands that win will make refills feel easy, premium, and worth it.