On April 21, 2022, NielsenIQ, a specialist in consumer behaviour analysis, unveiled its new study dedicated to the French hygiene and beauty products market. A market that is being challenged in supermarkets by the context (health crisis, inflation), changing expectations (solid forms, less packaging, organic cosmetics, transparency of information…) and alternative consumption channels (e-commerce and specialised channels, in particular).
“The hygiene and beauty sector is not looking good. Is this a case of great fatigue or simply a change in the priorities and purchasing habits of the French? Even if its structural decline is no longer in question, other causes are impacting this market which, in order to ‘get a makeover’, is being asked to rethink and innovate in order to win back the hearts and wallets of the French, who are increasingly turning to e-commerce, good deals, and products that are good for me and for the planet,” introduces Nicolas Léger, analytical director at NielsenIQ.
Here’s what you need to know from the latest NielsenIQ analysis for the personal care sector.
Sales down by -4.9% in 2021 vs 2020
The structural decline in the sector (-12% since 2013) continued (excluding masks and first care) during the Covid-19 health crisis, despite the good trends in mass retail in general (-1.5% between 2019 and 2021). The consequences of this crisis may be long-lasting since, for example, teleworkers have reduced their beauty hygiene purchases twice as much as the average French person and certain products contribute particularly to the sector’s losses, such as deodorants (-€55M), hairdressing products (-€32M) or blades and …
