Beauty and the Digital Beast: An exploratory study on what variables are affecting the process of digitalization within retail and why the beauty industry is lagging behind

Sammanfattning: This master thesis project applies a mixed methods approach to fulfill the purpose of exploring how and in what ways digitalization transforms different retail categories. A theoretical framework is formulated using existing theories and research, from which four key variables are identified: distribution, interaction, competition and product offering. These variables, combined with an overarching consumer perspective, constitute the framework then applied to analyze three practical case studies; two well-researched, and one which has received little prior attention academically. The case studies conducted on the industries with prior available research were the book industry and the fashion industry, being the first and largest retail industries respectively within digitalization. From this, a less studied industry – namely the beauty industry – is analyzed with the help of the framework. As this industry lacks sufficient research, a qualitative data collection in the shape of stakeholder interviews was performed. Applying the theoretical framework facilitates thorough insights into the way in which the beauty industry goes through digitalization.The similarities shown in between industries when applying the framework gives it great conformability, and the differences illustrate the extent of the varieties in the variables within the framework that are affected by specific industry characteristics.