Over 3% global growth and the strong performance of some regions, particularly North America, are proof of another good year for the salon hair care market. Some of the most interesting developments happen on the competitive front where the race for higher shares in the quickly growing bond builders segment is intensifying due to the emergence of new brands. Olaplex, the pioneer in this segment, continues its efforts to remain the leader, not only through expansion, but also through legal action towards its competitors.
Market consolidation continues to shape the industry with two recent acquisitions—Conair adds Aquage to its portfolio and Unilever purchases Living Proof. It’s an important step for Unilever, which competed only with one master brand, TIGI, in the professional hair care arena. Unlike TIGI, which takes pride in being a brand “by hairdressers for hairdressers,” Living Proof is a hybrid brand with strong distribution in both salons and retail.
Recently, another factor behind the salon hair care market’s growth has been the brands and products dedicated to barbers. The expansion of many British and American brands, as well as the launch of new brands and product lines, especially in Europe, have helped the men’s products segment to increase by almost 8% in 2015. The success of these brands and products stems largely from design and marketing efforts adapted for a masculine audience. The same applies when it comes to the development of barbershops, which attract men with unique looks and services, usually not found in classical hair salons.
In parallel to fierce competition and male-centric hair products, professional hair tools and appliances for use in salons, a segment where technology is key, is also showing promising signs with innovation geared towards the same goals as salon hair care products: healthier, better managed hair. These tools are moving away from hair-damaging technologies and come up with new technology that promises to condition, repair, and/or smooth hair. A recent example of such innovation is the smart brush launched by Kérastase called Kérastase Hair Coach. The hair care brand pairs up with Withings to create a device that collects data when one brushes his/her hair and shows it on a smartphone. Another example is Dyson’s Supersonic Hair Dryer. The appliance is smaller and lighter in weight than most dryers and makes less noise. One of its key claims is that it helps prevent extreme heat damage to protect hair’s natural shine. In order to keep the temperature under control, its temperature is measured 20 times every second.
We will continue to take this market’s pulse through our complete market research trio—Salon Hair Global Series, Barbershops: Global Market Brief, and Professional Hair Tools and Appliances: Global Market Analysis and Opportunities. These reports are expected to be published this spring and summer. These comprehensive reports will offer deep insights into the popular topics in the professional hair care area, as well as reveal the performance of the various interesting markets and segments, key growth factors, latest trends, and product launches, among other issues.
