LITITZ, PA — Listrak released its 2026 Beauty & Fashion Benchmark Report, finding that transactional and post-purchase communications are generating higher engagement for beauty and fashion retailers.
The report said increased separation between promotional and transactional messages by email and messaging platforms has improved visibility for purchase-related communications.
According to Listrak, inbox changes such as Gmail’s Purchases folder and Apple’s iOS Messages Transactions folder have made transactional messages more prominent for consumers.
The company said that greater visibility has resulted in revenue growth from transactional messages that outpaced increases in message volume.
The report also found that SMS campaigns tied to post-purchase and browsing behavior are becoming more personalized.
Listrak said this shift toward personalized messaging has increased both message volume and revenue generated through SMS marketing campaigns.
Ross Kramer, co-founder and chief executive officer of Listrak, said retailers are focusing on using communications during moments when customers are most likely to make purchasing decisions.
“The brands that are winning in beauty and fashion aren’t sending more — they’re sending smarter, leveraging high-intent moments with personalization and relevancy,” Kramer said.
The report identified several broader trends affecting the beauty industry.
Online and social commerce now account for about half of global beauty sales, according to the report.
The analysis also said wellness products are becoming more closely integrated with traditional beauty offerings.
Younger consumers, including members of Generation Z and Generation Alpha, are increasing demand for products that emphasize sustainability and inclusive branding, the report said.
In the fashion sector, the report said resale and rental clothing models are becoming more established as retail strategies.
Listrak said spending patterns are also diverging between high-end and discount fashion markets as higher-income consumers drive growth in luxury categories.
The report also said the increasing use of GLP-1 medications is influencing apparel retail inventory planning.
According to the report, some apparel retailers are adjusting size distributions and inventory strategies as obesity rates decline and demand shifts toward smaller clothing sizes.
Listrak said the analysis was conducted by its research division, Listrak Intelligence.
The report examined data from more than 130 billion email and SMS or MMS messages sent by more than 1,000 ecommerce clients between January 1 and December 31, 2025.
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