We’ve seen beauty buyers in SA drive between 85% and 99% of campaign traffic across major brand campaigns. That’s because the beauty buyer is one of retail’s most commercially reliable shoppers. They research before they buy, they’re brand-loyal once they find something that works, and they spend consistently – not just during peak seasons.
And they’re actively purchasing on three of SA’s leading retail platforms: ARC, Woolworths, and Bash, leaving verified, high-intent signals every time they do.
Those verified, timely and specific signals are exactly what makes first-party data audiences so valuable. Because you’re not reaching people who might buy beauty. You’re reaching people who already do.
Flow Platform gives brands direct access to these verified buyer audiences from retail partners ARC, Woolworths, and Bash. Built from actual transaction data (not just interest). These audiences are instantly available to activate across Meta, Google, and TikTok.
Women’s Month in August accelerates something that is already happening year-round. These shoppers are in the market regardless of the calendar — but in August, the category heats up, basket sizes grow, and brands that show up with relevance win a disproportionate share of the spend.
Why the SA Beauty buyer is gold
The beauty buyer shops with intent and has typically considered their options before purchasing, they know what they want, and they are willing to spend on it.
Powering SA's beauty buying audiences.
ARC and Woolworths draw the considered beauty spender: premium-oriented, high-frequency, and already in the decision window when they arrive on-site.
Bash adds a different dimension — a shopper whose basket often spans beauty, fashion, and jewellery in a single session. For fashion, jewellery, and home brands, this buyer is already in your category.
What Campaigns Reaching Verified Beauty Audiences Actually Deliver
Flow partners ARC, Woolworths, and Bash don’t just represent strong brand equity. The audience data behind them delivers measurable campaign performance:
15.06% Year-on-year sales uplift
and 85% of all campaign traffic, for Huda Beauty
67% Sales uplift
ARC audiences drove 89.88% of campaign traffic for Innisfree
3.6m Shoppers
Coty, Clarins, ASCO and PCG ran campaigns to Woolworths Beauty buying audiences across 32 campaigns and 21 brands. They reached 3.6 million shoppers and more than 131 000 clicks to product pages.
These results come from audiences who were already buying in the category. These campaigns put the brand in front of the buyer with the highest intent.
“We could see that the Woolies customer is highly engaged and aligns well with a premium offering – which is exactly what we were going for.”
— Ashleigh Boggon, Head of Digital Commerce Media, COTY
KEY INSIGHT 💡
Women’s Month is the moment to be precise
The beauty buyer is findable, active, and spending now. Women’s Month amplifies what’s already there. Brands that activate verified buyer audiences in the lead-up to August consistently outperform those that don’t.
The window to plan and book is open. The audiences are ready.
How to Book
If you’re a Woolworths, ARC or Bash supplier and looking to reach their beauty buyers directly, get in touch with Flow to book your exclusive campaign
Or you can browse and book SA’s top-tier beauty buying audiences directly on Flow’s Audience Marketplace
Frequently asked questions
What does "verified buyer audience" actually mean?
It means the audience is built from confirmed purchase transactions or activity on ARC, Woolworths, or Bash — not from browse behaviour, ad clicks, or inferred interest. Every person in the segment bought something. That’s the signal that drives the campaign results above.
Can brands outside beauty access these audiences?
Yes. ARC and Bash audiences are available through the Flow Audience Marketplace. The Bash shopper in particular is a strong cross-category target — they’re purchasing beauty, fashion, and jewellery in the same session, which makes them commercially relevant to brands well beyond the beauty vertical.
How does booking work?
Supplier brands can book exclusive campaigns against Woolworths, ARC, or Bash audiences directly through the Flow team. Any brand can access ARC and Bash audiences through the Flow Audience Marketplace.
Are these audiences available year-round or just for Women's Month?
Year-round. These are persistent buyer audiences, not campaign-window segments. Women’s Month is a strong activation moment, but the audiences are available to plan and book at any time.
