Promotion ideas for beauty and cosmetics shops

Household and personal products companies report gross margins around 51 percent on average. Shops that resell other brands work with less, because the brand keeps much of that margin.

Samples and mini sizes cost a fraction of a full product, which makes them the most efficient prize in the category.

Regular customers rebuy the same products. A discount on those mostly gives away money you would have earned anyway.

Discounts work better on discovery: a new line, a product someone has not tried, or a set that introduces a routine.

A mini set or a sample of a product the customer has not tried is the classic beauty prize. It costs little and often leads to a full-size purchase.

Gift with purchase, such as a pouch or a travel size above an order value, raises the basket without cutting prices.

Gift seasons dominate: Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and the end-of-year holidays, when ready gift sets sell well.

Summer brings sun care and travel sizes, and the start of autumn is when people change skincare routines.

Discounting best sellers that loyal customers buy every month.

Pushing products close to their expiry date as prizes. A winner who gets an old product does not come back.