What’s Ahead in the U.S. Cosmetics and Toiletries Market?
Naturally positioned products, male grooming, indie brands, beauty apps, and the power of social media were some of the most talked-about trends in the U.S. cosmetics and toiletries market in 2015. Posting solid gains for the sixth year in row, the market is poised to continue on this upward path in 2016. We will reveal these trends and assess their impact on the market landscape.
As we start our research for the next edition of our annual Cosmetics & Toiletries USA report, our beauty expert Naira Aslanian shares a few insights about the market and this highly detailed report.Continue reading
A Powerful Retail Channel in the Nutrition Industry: Multi-level Marketing
The U.S. market for nutritional supplements and wellness products is massive and valued at over $30 billion in annual retail sales. This remains an area that elicits strong consumer interest as people seek to preserve and improve their health and avoid illness. Products like digestive enzymes, vitamins and minerals, weight loss and management systems, and energy supplements provide many benefits for consumers, but confusion lingers among consumers due to the number of products available and nebulous product claims.
Mass nutrition brands sold through drug chains, mass merchandisers, health food stores, and specialty retailers account for the lion’s share of the market. Continue reading
Discovering Beauty at Cosmoprof North America
The American dream was alive and well at the 14th annual edition of Cosmoprof North America, which teemed with entrepreneurship, diversity, and innovation at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV, last month. The trade show kicked off with a “Beauty Pitch” event, where entrepreneur finalists from all sectors of the beauty industry pitched their ideas “Shark Tank”-style to celebrity judges, national retailers, and editors. This year’s winners were Sunlights Balayage, maker of “The Balay Box” (an educational balayage kit), and P3 Pure, marketer of Primal Pit Paste all-natural organic deodorants.
The floor layout has been revamped to add more curated discovery zones. Discover Green is a new section for companies with a green or natural positioning and featured brands like Haconut, Jurlique, and EQ. The Emerging Beauty section is open exclusively to first-time exhibitors and housed an interesting array of independent beauty newcomers.Continue reading
Brand Comebacks and Pain Devices Drive Sales of Analgesics
Chronic pain continues to be an area consumers seek to treat with a variety of methods including prescription drugs, OTC medications, topical rubs, and pain management devices. The increasing U.S. aging population will continue to generate the demand for pain relief products. Seniors increasingly seek to mitigate pain associated with old age and sedentary lifestyles, thereby increasing sales. The baby boomer population is the most rapidly increasing age segment in the United States, with an estimated 23% of the population reaching 55 years of age in 2015. The physically active baby boomer generation is concerned about maintaining health and wellness, far more so than previous generations.Continue reading
Keeping an Eye on the At-home Beauty Devices Market in 2016
At-home beauty devices are no longer found primarily on the bathroom shelves of beauty aficionados. With global sales growth of over 10% in 2015, the at-home beauty devices market remains among the fastest growing segments within the beauty industry, attracting a diverse, global audience looking for fast and long-lasting results when it comes to the three leading skin care concerns: cleansing, aging, and hair removal. The market benefits from consumers’ increased education and knowledge of products, the rise in the number of marketers, new products at varying price points, increasing distribution, especially across the direct sales channel, and the continued success of limited edition products.Continue reading
Small, but Mighty: A Look at the Professional Skin Care Markets in Brazil and Canada
The professional skin care markets in Brazil and Canada can be considered small when compared to the U.S. and European markets; however, these markets post strong growth in both countries, increasing by over 5% and 10%, respectively, in 2015. Sai Swaroop, our professional skin care expert, reveals some interesting particularities about these small, but very dynamic countries for professional skin care products.Continue reading
U.S. OTC Marketers Vault Ahead of the Competition
While the U.S. OTC market is not highly dynamic in terms of growth, its competitive landscape has changed significantly over the past five years, with the top 10 rankings shifting in 2015.
Market leaders Johnson & Johnson and Bayer have remained the #1 and #2 OTC marketers, respectively, for many years. Bayer’s bolt-on acquisition of Merck’s Consumer Health business in 2014 helped solidify its spot as the second-largest OTC marketer. However, the OTC companies ranked 3-10 have been affected by consolidation, mergers, and acquisitions. In 2015, GlaxoSmithKline rises to the third largest position after forming a joint venture with Novartis Consumer Health. Back in 2010, when these businesses were separate, Novartis ranked fifth and GlaxoSmithKline was the sixth largest competitor. Despite the acquisition of Emergen-C immune boosting supplement and the successful launch of Rx-to-OTC switch Nexium 24HR, Pfizer was pushed down to the fourth ranked position from third as a result of the GSK/Novartis joint venture.Continue reading
Specialty Stores Continue to Shine as New Formats Emerge
According to our recently published Cosmetics & Toiletries USA report, specialty store sales grow at a rate of about 11% in contrast to the overall market’s growth of approximately 4%. This is no surprise considering all of the activity that has taken place, from Sephora’s new TIP initiative to the opening of 100 new and larger Ulta stores from 2014-2015. Brands are also finding that opening their own flagship and subsequent free-standing boutiques in the United States and abroad helps personalize and connect a customer to a brand. Ultimately, this creates a unique brand experience and fortifies the growth of a beauty brand in a highly competitive environment.Continue reading
Barbers in Europe – The Return of Masculinity and Tradition
Products for men have shown substantial growth over the last few years, increasing well above the overall global salon hair care market, which grows by almost 4% in 2015. Experiencing an over 7% global increase in 2015, the products for men segment is more vibrant than ever, contributing to a good portion of the salon hair care market’s sales.
The growth in men-specific concepts comes mainly from the service side, as many markets around the globe are seeing the revival of traditional barbershops. The barbershop movement is not very common in key professional hair care markets like Latin America or North America, but particularly strong in European countries. Continue reading
Five Indie Brands that Sparkle on the Natural Beauty Scene
As we begin researching for the 2016 edition of the Natural Personal Care Global Series report, we are exploring the various natural indie brands making a mark in the United States by emphasizing how natural can be beautiful, healthy, and effective. Continue reading
