Roberta Parisi

Customers' Attitude Towards Natural Cosmetic Products: the Italian Case Roberta Parisi

For many years in the cosmetic Italian industry the sector of ?natural? products has been the most dynamic and it has recorded the higher rate of growth. To this aspect corresponds a stronger and stronger awareness of the customers towards the ?green?, the ?environment? and whatever can be considered ?natural?. As for the technical formulation, many types of cosmetics use natural and vegetable ingredients in different proportions. As for the distribution, cosmetic products are sold in a large variety of points of sale: perfumer?s shops, Mass Markets, chemist?s shops, shops for OTC products, herbalist?s shops, beauty parlours, spas and also directly through door-to-door selling or through catalogues. As usually happens in marketing process, it is the costumer who judges and chooses what and where to buy, so it?s a question of understanding what the costumer thinks and how s/he behaves confronted with a so wide range of choice possibilities. The purpose of this survey is to analyze and explain this complex and diversified situation, focusing on the sectors of herbalist?s shops and of shops for OTC products.