How NFC technology is transforming the beauty industry

NFC technology is blurring the boundaries between the digital and physical world, and it’s now starting to make waves within the beauty industry.?

Let’s take a look at the potential impact and benefits of NFC within beauty and cosmetics, starting with a quick catchup lesson on the technology itself.??

What is NFC technology??

For those unfamiliar with the technology, near field communication (NFC) technology is a specific type of radio frequency identification (RFID) system. It consists of a tiny chip and antenna embedded in packaging, which enables everyday products to communicate via radio waves. Customers can use their smartphones to ‘read’ these NFC chips. There’s no need to open a camera or other app, as NFC-enabled content could pop up automatically.??

NFC technology is widely used in the retail industry already. The most common use is enabling contactless payments from debit/credit cards.??

According to Inside Packaging, around 80% of smartphone owners effectively have NFC readers in their hands or pockets.??

Delivering interactive customer experiences?

NFC technology can help to bridge the gap between the online and offline shopping experience for consumers. Research from the National Retail Federation (NRF) in the US has found that around 67% of Gen Z shoppers still prefer to visit a physical store. Technology is still important to this generation, but only if it enhances the shopping experience.?

This is where smart packaging comes in. NFC tags embedded into beauty labels and packaging can add significant value to the customer experience. It’s already in use within the beauty and cosmetics industry, with brands like Clinique leading the way with NFC-enabled packaging for its limited edition Moisture Surge 100H product.?

When the customer interacts with a product on the shelf, they can receive information on ingredients or provenance, tips to use or links to reviews on social media. They can even receive exclusive coupons or discounts, a vital incentive to help with consumer engagement with smart packaging.??

Unlike QR codes or barcodes, NFC tags don’t need to be visible to add that interactive element to product branding. They can be discretely integrated underneath labels, so there’s virtually no interference to the packaging design.??

Tackling counterfeit goods?

Another interesting use of NFC technology within the beauty sector is tackling issues with counterfeit products. It’s more resistant to cloning than other ID systems, which could help to speed up the identification of counterfeit goods. With NFC, it should be easier for brands, retailers and customers to instantly check the authenticity of the product.??

Cutting waste?

Lastly, NFC smart packaging could help the beauty industry tackle one of its most difficult challenges – waste. It could do this in a couple of key ways.??

The first is to reduce the amount of labelling and packaging required for each product. If NFC smart packaging becomes mainstream, it could be the norm for product information to be viewed digitally.??

Another potential application is to deliver clear and location-specific information on how and where used packaging can be recycled. NFC tags could even be used to incentivise recycling. For example, ‘smart’ recycling bins in retail stores could give credits to the user for each product recycled, to spend on other beauty products.??

Ready for your next role in beauty or cosmetics? Search our latest UK beauty jobs here at Lavandi Talent.???