A Small Sector
in Rapid Acceleration
At $108 million U.S. annual
sales, this sector represents a tiny part of the overall personal
care market in the U.S.. But it is the fastest growing, and could
evolve to a substantial size.
P&G's much noted acquisition
of Gillette is cited as much for their interest in male toiletries
as its contribution to critical mass. P&G has already demonstrated
its sense of potential in male grooming with the recent extension
of Old Spice to Body Gel.
This coincides with our observations
in France: Popular mass brands in body wash gels, such as Tahiti
and Le Petit Marseillais now have male-specific counterparts,
joining traditional male brands Axe and Adidas and expanding
their line's exposure in multiple locations within the same store.
French Retailers
Ahead of the Curve
There is a difference in what
retailers are doing about it, as the French try to stay ahead
of the curve:
The stores in Paris seem to
be anticipating a major growth trend, not just a passing blip
on the sales radar.
But retailers in New York,
such as Duane Reade, are just finding odd spaces for the increasing
men's brands and line extensions. New male washes and gels such
as Soft Soap for Men are mixed with the non-gender and female
specific brands, while male hair color and anti-age treatments
are sided with shaving creams & deodorants.
In France there are dramatic
increases in shelf allocations for male-specific grooming products.
Mass retail giant Carrefour is illustrative:
Watching the Shelves at
Carrefour
The Carrefour hypermarket in
our Paris-area audit group has increased shelf space for its
men's grooming by 30% from October to December 2005 to make room
for these new products.
Carrefour has created two private
label body gels at different price points to expand their own
male offerings.
|
 |
P&G is testing the waters
in France with Head &
Shoulders Shampoo for Men,
gaining a secondary location for the brand in the men's grooming
area, while retaining regular Head & Shoulders in the traditional
shampoo aisle.
Men as Consumers
in The U.S.
Another reason to take this
trend seriously: Consider the 12 million single male households
in the U.S., with nearly half never having married. These men
are making their own personal product purchases.
And 66% are below age 55, earning
more than the national average. They have discretionary income.
Even in married or live-together
households, shopping responsibilities are no longer only the
domain of the "woman of the house."
American men are becoming more
aware of grooming with popular shows such as "Queer Eye
for the Straight Guy", as well the new and more expensive
lines in department stores.
The Return of
Longer Hair
In Paris and New York young
men are returning to longer hair. These new looks will require
architectural assistance.
Guys will be back to the hair
care shelves, with a renewed demand for masculine hair products.
Shiseido will enter the dorment
U.S. men's thinning hair category with luxury-priced Endogen.
They appear to anticipate a
resurgence in Amercian men's hair care.
|
  |
 |
Predictive for
the U.S.?
Products for the "new
man " include scrubs, exfoliants, bronzers, anti-age facial
care, hand care, anti-eye fatigue, in addition to the extending
lines of more traditional male products for hair, face &
body.
What can we anticpiate to happen,
both in the U.S. and France to the men's grooming market?
We expect that the growth in
male personal care will occur more quickly with products that
men are accustomed to using, but more specifically tailored and
presented to them, within the men's grooming section.
The potential in the U.S. may
be slowed while retailers force a "treasure hunt" to
find the newest entries.
|
