According to a recent report by research firm Kline & Company, sales of cosmetics and toiletries through alternate channels have exploded, growing by nearly $1 billion since 2005. And what’s more, double-digit growth is expected to continue as consumers rely on the convenience of at-home shopping to meet their beauty needs.

 E-commerce sales are leading the way (with a 25.4% growth from 2005 to 2010), followed by home shopping networks like QVC and HSN. Similarly, infomercials for brands such as Hydroxatone, ProActive, and Sheer Cover, have watched sales grow by more than 17%.

Consequently, brand marketers are exploring new tactics to build online clicks as well as stand out in traditional media.
 
“We expect a great deal of cross-channel promotion that will drive solid growth over the next five years,” predicts Karen Doskow, consumer products industry manager at Kline.