It was another tremendous year for nail polishes, with category sales up as much as 60% in select channels in 2011. Nail polish proved yet again to be the fastest growing category in the U.S. beauty industry for the third year in a row, and was the only category to register overall sales gains in the high double-digit range. Professional brands like Essie, OPI, and Sinful have gained significant distribution in the mass-market following their recent acquisitions by L’Oréal, Coty, and Revlon, respectively, helping to boost category sales. In salons, long wearing manicures, like those offered by Shellac (Colomer/CND) and Axxium (Coty/OPI), remain in high demand. Other popular trends in nail polishes include magnetic nail polishes, more natural formulations, and bold colors. The category has also benefited from dramatic nails featured on runways and in fashion advertisements.
As a colorful, relatively inexpensive, and often glamorous treat, nail-polish remains a great pick-me-up. From professional salons to private “me time”, the nail-polish market, drawing upon an ever growing and irresistible palette, enjoys category busting growth by offering portable, affordable, and transformative luxury. Nail-polish is being rediscovered as the finishing-touch, as a quick and ready means to freshen up a look, and as a colorful antidote to the prosaic.
The segment is innovative and an exceptional performer in an already largely healthy market. Kline’s imminent Professional Nail Care 2012: Global Market Brief report details the trends, drivers, expectations, and developments in this blossoming industry.
For an analysis of the nail-polish segment within the greater cosmetics and toiletries market, Kline offers the perennial Cosmetics & Toiletries USA report.
