미용 전공 대학생들의 화장품 구매 행동에 관한 연구

Abstract

College students, majoring in beauty fields, represent a significant consumer segment in the cosmetics industry. With rapid changes in the socio-cultural environment and the rise of Generation Z as digital-native consumers, it is pivotal to understand the purchasing patterns of beauty major college students for strategic marketing and education in the beauty sector. With an aim to investigate the purchasing behavior of these college students, we developed a structured questionnaire and distributed it to 266 college students enrolled in beauty-related programs across Korea. The questionnaire consisted of 14 items that included 8 on the purchasing behavior of cosmetics and 6 on general characteristics. The data was collected through both online and offline methods. We analyzed the final data using SPSS 25.0 for frequency and cross-tabulation analyses at a significance level of p<0.05. The findings revealed that acne was the most common skin concern among respondents, and the primary reason for using cosmetics was to enhance attractiveness. The maximum expenditure was in the category of basic skincare products, with the average purchase frequency of once per month. Efficacy and functionality were the most influential factors in the decisions to purchase. Information on cosmetics were acquired predominantly from social networking services (SNS). Olive Young was the most frequently chosen purchase location due to its convenience. We observed statistically significant differences in purchasing behavior based on gender, age, academic year, major, region of residence, and monthly allowance. The results of our study suggest that beauty major college students, who demonstrate an enhanced interest and expertise in cosmetics, exhibit distinct consumer behaviors compared to those of the general population. Our study provides practical insights into the marketing of cosmetics and planning products tailored to college students majoring in beauty. The results of our study also contributes foundational data for future academic research on consumer behavior in the beauty industry.