Men: The new personal care shoppers?
The year of the male in bath and body products is finally upon us. Or is it?
Maybe. Although most bath and body products still are created with women in mind, manufacturers are reaching out to men (and children) with new products. Retailers could capitalize on this growing trend by offering more male-centered or unisex store brand lines, as well as multi-use, natural national-brand-equivalent (NBE) products.
\"Men are increasingly interested in their looks and especially their shaving habits and hair styling,\" says Kathy Saunders, vice president, Nectarine, Richmond, Calif. \"Shave creams, pre-shave oils and pomades are big.\"
Renee Barch-Niles, president and general manager, Emelia Personal Care, Dublin, Ohio, agrees.
\"It has taken longer than most of us thought it would take, but I believe that it is starting to gain real ground, with prestige sales increasing over 20 percent annually for the past five years and over 50 major brands in the space now,\" she says. \"I do not see this trend slowing down anytime soon due to the two male segments: baby boomers and the millennial generation that has been raised to embrace grooming with shaving, spa and professional [doctor or dermatologist] positioning.\"
The last year and a half also has seen retailers focusing more on mens products, says Warren Watson, founder, The Midwest Sea Salt Co., Durash, Ohio. However, \"99 percent of the category is geared toward women – they are still our bread and butter,\" he says.
Do
develop bath and body products that appeal to the growing base of male consumers.
Dont
lag months behind the brands when it comes to innovation.
Offer value, multiple benefits
Consumer confidence may be rebounding, but still remains relatively low. So retailers that offer consumers high-quality products at a value will gain trial in this category, Barch-Niles notes.
\"Bath and body has lower brand loyalty due to consumers willingness to try new products, and they are seeking multiple benefits, multiple uses and longer-lasting moisturization that is not greasy or sticky on the skin,\" Barch-Niles says.
In fact, \"Bath and Shower in the U.S.,\" a July report from Chicago-based Euromonitor International, indicates that products delivering multiple benefits – such as liquid soap, bar soap and bath additives – did well in 2012. Even better, these cleansers packaged a spa experience with skin moisturization, muscle relaxation, stress relief, aromatherapy and vitamin and mineral infusion.
Skincare continues to be a top growth driver of the beauty category.
\"This provides a key opportunity for retailers with their own brands to link face care to body care through greater anti-aging benefits, more products with therapeutic positioning and custom-designed products that appeal to the growing ethnic audience and the sensitive skin consumer that seeks free-from products,\" Barch-Niles says.
Opportunity in value and premium
Smaller private label manufacturers and niche brands are experimenting with natural and organic elements, aesthetician products, mens grooming and signature fragrances, Saunders notes.
\"There seems to be opportunity in both the value products and premium products, as the market is strong for both,\" she says. \"Our society is used to crossing over to purchase fun value lines, as well as pampering high-end lines.\"
More established store brands are getting into value packs such as 16-ounce to 32-ounce containers, too.
\"Value packs, however, are going away from what is best for the ingredients,\" says Kristin Fraser Cotte, founder and CEO, The Grapeseed Co., Santa Barbara, Calif. \"Bath and body care products can be a really amazing way to market your brand, as long as the product represents quality.\"
Do
consider formulas with natural ingredients and multiple uses.
Dont
rely on old-school NBE testing protocols.
Generally, high-end products long have been available for the face, neck and body; moderately priced products, for bath and body; and low-end products, for hair, feet and bathing, says Esam Morsy, founder and formulation chemist, CITA International, Glendale, Ariz.
\"Its an unofficial rule that you cant make a shampoo cost more than $10, but face cream in a tiny jar can cost as much as $200,\" he says.
While those prices arent commonly found within retail food, drug and mass, consumers are eager to recreate the aroma and atmosphere of high-end products, Morsy says.
\"Consumers are also requesting cleaner labels, more natural and organic options, and ingredients derived from botanicals that are tested and found to be safe and effective for achieving certain cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical efforts on the body,\" Morsy adds.
Stand out from the crowd
Also important here is variety, says Elisabeth Belanger, general manager for Quebec-based La Maison Orphée, which produces coconut oil.
\"The more products that are on the shelf, the more sells,\" she says.
Watson cautions retailers, however, to start small and test the market.
\"What Im seeing is some retailers bite off more than they can chew,\" he says. \"They buy larger amounts than recommended.\"
And the store brand needs to offer a unique value or experience, Fraser Cotte says. \"No matter if you are a small or big company, you have to offer something to stand out from the crowd.\"
Monrovia, Calif.-based Trader Joes, for one, is known for having visually appealing, fun and informative products and low prices, Saunders says.
\"They offer basic products, great packaging and good scents,\" she says. \"They make shopping a discovery each time.\"
Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreen Co. also has a consumer-centric mindset that is focused on health and wellness, particularly in the beauty categories, Barch-Niles suggests.
\"You can see that in their unique product offerings, better-than-the-national-brand-quality products and strong promotional support for their own brand products,\" she says.
Drug retailers, in general, including Rite Aid, Camp Hill, Pa., and Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS, are making these categories a destination in their stores, Barch-Niles says.
\"And as such, food retailers are seeing their penetration dip and [are] having a tough time competing in the space,\" she says.
Going forward, retailers also might need to rethink NBE testing protocols, particularly when brands lower their quality.
\"I think one of the industrys largest missteps is the NBE testing protocols that exist in many old-school retail brand houses,\" Barch-Niles says. \"The testing is based on match for match against the brand and does not truly test the effectiveness of the product or the true quality of the products.\"
Instead, the testing funds could be more wisely applied to testing the efficacy of the product.
\"That is what the consumer comes back for: Did the product work well? Did it provide me with a great user experience? Was it worth my money?\" Barch-Niles says. \"She is not concerned about the color being a fraction off [from] the brand when both are placed together under a microscope at the same time.\"
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| Source: Mintels Global New Products Database |