Pregnancy Tests, Pampers & Perfumes: The Rapid Evolution of Instant Delivery

Driven by an age of instant gratification fueled by social media trends and on-demand expectations, the Health and Beauty industry is undergoing a rapid transformation where consumers increasingly seek immediate access to products, mirroring the convenience of services like rapid delivery seen in the takeaway sector; this shift is evident in platforms like TikTok driving trends and the significant volume of health and beauty purchases now occurring through on-demand delivery services, as highlighted by data showing over two million such purchases on Just Eat Takeaway.com last year, often alongside typical takeaway orders.

Rapid Relief or Midnight Meds?
Consumers rank Pharmacy as the vertical most suited to ‘emergency’ on-demand occasions, and this is evident in what they are purchasing with 68,000 over-the-counter products sold last year and Paracetamol and Ibuprofen proving to be the most popular products. This was closely followed by pregnancy tests, of which 44,000 were sold in 2024 - with ClearBlue proving most popular.

The Pampers Panic
30% of Just Eat Takeaway’s total Health & Beauty category sales in 2024 came from the Baby Category. With half of our customer base having children, it’s no surprise that parents are looking for convenient delivery when they run out of their essential products and don’t have time to leave home. The largest Baby order to date included 176 Pampers Nappies and 30 packets of Baby Wipes - delivered by just one courier.

Huel for Fuel
Consumers are opting for healthier choices in their lifestyles, having sold over 28,000 Vitamins last year and Vitamin Shots proving very popular, alongside 60,000 searches for Protein-Based Foods, Cereal Bars and Powders. Just Eat Takeaway.com delivered over 74,000 Protein shakes globally last year with leading nutrition brand Huel representing 32% of those sales.

Glow ups delivered in as little as 30 minutes
Beauty shoppers position rapid delivery of Beauty & Skincare products as a “game changer.” Last year, Bath & Body and Hair Care were the 2nd and 4th biggest categories in Beauty respectively, with hair dye being the most sought-after product from all our Beauty partners. Over 45% of Beauty purchases on our platform last year came from ‘younger urban spender’ with TikTok viral brands like Laneige and e.l.f.  bucking the trend. “TikTok Made Me Buy It” is a key shopper mission, as customers are in need of that instant gratification after they watch their favourite influencer testing out a new product. Our own consumer research suggests that beauty shoppers are willing to spend more if retailers are able to offer a quick delivery service, and this is evidenced as we have seen single orders of up to €1.3k. 

The Holiday Hype
Our most popular selling fragrance last year was Tom Ford Ombre Leather 100ml, which was often bought across key gifting occasions. On Valentine’s Day and Christmas Eve we saw our Beauty partners sales increase 8-10x vs the daily base, with Christmas gifts accounting for 8% of total Beauty orders last year. Mother’s Day this year also proved to be the biggest trading day for Beauty over the last 12 months, with Skincare & Fragrance emerging as the go-to gifts for Mum. We know that 67% of consumers believe on-demand can cater to ‘care package’ moments, so it’s no surprise that on-demand beauty sales are continuing to grow when it comes to last minute gifting. 

Discretion Delivered to your Doorstep
We know consumers can often feel embarrassed when walking into a store to purchase Sexual Wellness products. Annually, JET sees over 120k searches for Condoms and 72k for Lubes as consumers want ultimate discretion when they shop for their sexual wellness products.
Last year we launched into the Sexual Wellness category across 5 countries in partnership with the leading Global Sexual Wellness Brand - Lovehoney, as well as tie ups with EasyToys and Oh Collective in The Netherlands.

Convenience is key
For Health and Beauty brands, convenience is everything. Today’s consumers expect instant access to the products they need - whether it’s emergency nappies delivered before the baby wakes up, or a last-minute lip gloss ahead of a night out. The brands winning market share are those meeting customers where they are, offering multiple, frictionless ways to shop. In-store browsing still has its place - after all, we all enjoy a browse - but when time is short, immediacy wins.