ance, it’s about 90 per cent of those decisions,” general manager of retail operations Lynne Gallucci told IRW at last week’s Priceline Beauty Prescription Live event. Gallucci added that over the last few years, many of the trends and themes coming from women’s health and beauty are being replicated in the men’s sector with particular emphasis around grooming and skincare. “We see it in TV and films and celebrities get behind it. I always think Patrick Dempsey started this stuff with his relationship with Loreal. We’re seeing growth in men’s skincare and hair both in terms of styling products and preventative hair loss. Men don’t have as many options as women with cosmetics, so they spend a lot of money on it,” she said. Indeed, figures from Roy Morgan in the year to March 2016 found that 3.7 million Australian men aged 14+ bought at least one skincare product in any given six month period. There’s a growing awareness of men to take better care of themselves, but unfortunately, it’s a sector that has been “forgotten and unloved for many years” by retailers, said Trent Duvall, national leader of consumer markets at KPMG. “If you think about how males shop, they’re often task-oriented. If they need shaving cream, they’ll buy the same one they’ve used for five years because it’s the easiest thing to pick from the shelf, as opposed to browsing around in a store or online, so it’s a whole new kind of marketing strategy for retailers,” he explained. “I imagine that a campaign targeting their female spouses and loved ones to buy for them means retailers can get their products in front of men in their homes so they can try them and hopefully pique their interest in shopping for beauty and grooming.” This year, Priceline will also roll out more of their next generation stores, which were first trialled at Warringah Mall and Doncaster Westfield last year, said Gallucci. The retailer will also ramp up its in-store digital interaction with customers. “We’re about to take the next step in 2017 with some digital media screens – it’s making sure that whatever device or wearable you use is connected and makes life as easy as possible for you in the path to purchase. Did we give you an offer that is tailored for you? Are the looks on the screen were able to  provide for you? All of those things will be our next evolution of digital in-store.” Last year, Priceline revealed that it made 59 million transactions and $2 billion in total register sales. It also added 22 more stores, bringing the total number to 442. Access exclusive analysis, locked news and reports with Inside Retail Weekly. Subscribe today and get our premium print publication delivered to your door every week.