The bath and shower sector wa subject to trade down and product innovation suffered, but there was still plenty for consumers to choose from in 2009, writes Julia Wray
?We all wash – whether we scrub behind the ears with bar soap or luxuriate in a bath with all the trimmings. It’s why bathroom products are so often defined as essential, a term that may suggest the sector is comparatively immune to economic turmoil. Indeed the bath and shower market grew 0.2% more than the C&T market as a whole in 2008, climbing 5.2% to $19.9bn, according to data from Euromonitor International.
In more developed market regions, however, the sector was subject to a certain amount of stagnation, with the western European market, for example, growing just 1.6%. Body washes and shower gels remained popular with western consumers, while use of bath additives continued to decline. “In terms of global NPD in this sector in the past six months, shower products dominate, accounting for 80% of total launches,” comments Nica Lewis, head consultant, beauty innovation, Mintel. “This is no surprise given that showering is not only seen as more convenient than bathing but is also seen as more economical and greener.”
On a global scale, the most successful sub-sector in terms of size and growth was bar soap, which increased 7.4% to $8,130.5m. Value sales of bar soap grew significantly in both the Middle East and Africa and soared 13% in eastern Europe, a result of increasing consumer affluence in the region. “There is a case of value added in emerging markets where consumers are trading up to higher priced brands of bar soap,” explains Carrie Lennard, industry analyst, beauty & personal care, Euromonitor. “In the next ten years we will probably see a trade up to bath and shower gel in these markets, similar to the trade up that happened in western markets ten or 20 years ago.”
According to Euromonitor, Asia is the area to watch, with India alone set to add an extra $509m to the size of its bath and body care market by 2013. Moreover, Asian companies are increasingly operating on a worldwide platform; November 2009 saw established Indian company Wipro acquire Lornamead’s Yardley business in Asia, the Middle East, Australasia and some African markets for $45m.
COUNTING COINS
Confidence is now returning but the recession has heavily influenced consumer spending, and while people are unlikely to cut soap from their shopping list in the way they might a face mask, Lennard notes that the bath and shower sector has suffered from consumer trade down. “People aren’t shopping for toiletries in department stores. They’re picking them up during their basic weekly grocery shop,” she says. “And with private label more available, people aren’t particularly brand loyal. If something smells nice and is at a low price they’ll buy it.”
However, those brands that did manage to secure consumer affection fared better. “Our consumers stay true to our line because we aren’t selling a $200 face cream or a $400 treatment,” says Benjamin Nissanoff, co-founder of US-based brand ME! Bath. “We sell products that people can afford and that they love.” ME! Bath is billed as an at-home spa experience and claims to replicate a spa environment for a fraction of the price.
According to Mintel’s Lewis, women “motivated by a desire to save money at the salon or spa” have invested in small luxuries, meaning that “beauty products saw greater value gains than beauty services in 2009”.
Two recent launches claimed spa-inspired toning and firming effects: Bliss introduced FatGirlScrub, which contains Himalayan pink salt and red algae to counteract the appearance of water retention, while Palmolive Thermal Spa Firming Shower Crème “contains thermal minerals and seaweed extracts that are enriched with a skin identical lipid to enhance skin's smoothness,” according to a Colgate Palmolive spokesperson.
But the future is not entirely bleak for spa owners in Nissanoff’s opinion. “I believe people will find a balance of going to spas and creating at-home spa experiences. People will never completely stop going to a spa.”
A HELPING HAND
Vying for headline space with the recession in 2009 was swine flu. And although it didn’t prove to be this generation’s Spanish influenza, as the doom-mongers would have had us believe, the pandemic did serve to raise awareness of hand hygiene among consumers. PZ Cussons reported a 16% rise in profits due to demand for its Carex anti-bacterial hand washes, and rival brand Radox (Sara Lee) offered consumers a portable solution launching an anti-bacterial hand gel in protect, moisturise and refresh variants. Meanwhile, in the UK, John Dale Ltd created JD Protects, a range of anti-viral hand, face and body wipes claimed to kill both human influenza H1N1 and swine flu.
Bubble & Balm, whose launch in 2009 coincided with that of the Fairtrade Foundation’s beauty standard and whose entire product range carries the Fairtrade mark, recently launched a range of three liquid soaps: lavender, citrus and anti- bacterial. The anti-bacterial version contains natural essential oils, acts against e.coli and MRSA, and according to founder Sue Acton is “almost certainly a first” when it comes to combining anti-bacterial effects with Fairtrade certification.
THE GREAT ESCAPE
Innovation in the bath and shower sector was thin on the ground in 2009, a combined effect of consumers making price a priority and inevitable research and development budget cutbacks within the industry. “There has been minimal activity in this sector over the past year,” Euromonitor’s Lennard tells SPC. “Trends are ongoing ones such as food ingredients, spa products and the Asian trend... 2009 was really a continuation of 2008.”
Indeed a significant volume of last year’s launches were inspired by Asian rituals and ingredients, a trend that was particularly strong among luxury and spa brands. Korres introduced two bath and body care lines: Kumquat, based on the Chinese fruit’s bitter-sweet scent, and Japanese Rose, while Champneys drew inspiration from Thailand. Its Thai Royale collection includes a bubble float and shower gel infused with Monoi de Tahiti oil, a traditional blend of coconut oil and gardenia flower extracts.
Meanwhile Rituals looked to India, adding Energy Bubbles Cream Bath with Organic Ginseng and Indian Rose to its Ayurveda line. The brand also drew inspiration from Hammam, a centuries-old ritual from North Africa. Its Hammam range comprises olive shower cream, warming scrub, body mud, foaming gel and bath oil.
But the influence of the exotic didn’t stop at Asia and those consumers looking for a way to escape their daily stresses or perhaps compensate for a ‘staycation’ summer were given plenty of opportunity let their senses travel – even if they remained at home.
Crabtree & Evelyn India Hicks Island Night, developed in collaboration with the designer and model, was inspired by Hicks’ life in the Caribbean and is said to capture the essence of twilight in the islands using orchid, night-blooming flower and orange blossom accords. Elemis also offered consumers a taste of the exotic – albeit a less geographically specific one – with its new Exotic Lime & Ginger Bodycare Collection.
Meanwhile, Palmolive and Radox both launched limited edition ranges inspired by Africa. Palmolive’s Marrakech Sunrise contains ylang-ylang, while frangipani scented Madagascar Sunset claims to transport the bather to Madagascar’s coconut-strewn beaches.
Radox followed suit with Experience Africa, featuring African Escape with baobab and mandarin oil, and African Sanctuary with rooibos and red thyme.
Lewis believes the “long standing spa traditions,” of many Asian and African countries account for the current popularity of such products. “Plus they [the products] have additional benefits – radiance, protection – that fit with current trends,” she adds.
SPECIAL EFFECTS
While emerging trends were fewer, they were not entirely absent. Gold and sequins ruled the high street and ‘bling’ also found its way into our bathrooms as brand owners tried to wrestle consumers back from private label with the promise of more bang for their buck. Procter & Gamble’s Olay Body Wash Plus Tone Enriching Ribbons contains separate cleansing and moisturising phases that sit side by side in the bottle but do not interact until mixed with water. Once activated, the cleansing phase carries the moisturising one (which is enriched with a mineral shimmer) to “hydrate the skin and enhance its tone,” as Jessica Hansman, Olay brand manager told ECM (January 2010 Bathroom products report).
For those consumers who prefer their shimmer to stay in the shower, Beiersdorf added a Touch of Sparkle version to its Nivea Touch Of... Cream Oil Body Wash line. Enriched with sparkling diamond powder, the pearlescent cream oil is said to nourish skin without leaving any shimmer particles behind. Glamour, part of Bourjois’ new XXL format Douche&Bain collection, also contains diamond dust, while The Sanctuary enhanced its Bidadari range with pearl powder enriched Bidadari Luxury Bodywash.
Other new products claim to add sparkle to the bather’s emotional state. Fragrances designed to enhance well-being were selling points for several recent launches including The Body Shop’s Love Etc... Body Wash, which was launched alongside Love Etc... eau de parfum. The Body Shop’s first emotional led fragrance, Love Etc is described as warm, radiant and highly addictive.
Another Palmolive shower gel, Palmolive Aromatherapy Happyful, contains essential oils of bergamot, cassis and orange flower – aromas that create an aura of light and happiness, according to the brand, while in the premium sector Neom Luxury Organics added its Happiness, Energy Boost and Pamper Yourself aromatherapy fragrance blends to a new line of hand and body washes and lotions.
WATER BOYS
A tactic adopted by some brand owners to draw custom back from cheaper own brand products was to target different consumer groups, with Lennard observing “an overlap in what we call bath and shower, and men’s brands”. Unilever’s Dove launched its first men’s line, Dove Men+Care, which includes Dove Men+Care Body And Face Wash With Micromoisture (micro wax capsules filled with sunflower oil) in three fragrance options: Clean Comfort, Cool Fresh and Energising Spice, while Soap & Glory diversified with Soap & Glory For Men. Unilever also introduced a pH neutral sensitive shower gel to its Axe Skin Contact portfolio and launched a new shower gel as part of its Axe/Lynx Twist line, which was created by nose Ann Gottleib and is the brand’s first fragrance built around top, middle and base notes.
A CLEAN CONSCIENCE
In line with the rest of the C&T market, the natural and organic trend continued apace with several start-ups making consumer friendly, free from claims. Ecocert certified Evolve, which includes two body washes (Skin Cocoon Moisture Wash and Daily Apple Hair & Body Wash) in its line-up, was one such brand. The brainchild of Nude Skincare’s former head of development, Laura Rudoe, Evolve products contain no parabens, sulphates or silicones.
Fellow newcomer amaZene also makes free from claims. The brand was co-founded by father and son team Tony and Mark Tillbrook. Tony invented the Spartan wetsuit. “At the time, when he used certain glues to adhere to the lining he found it caused skin irritation in some clients, so he appreciated quite early on the link between chemicals and dermatitis,” explains Mark Tillbrook.
amaZene features wash-off and leave-on products in six fragrance families all containing a moisturising complex of organic acai, babaçu and cupuaçu oils called amaZonia ABC. “For leave-on, ABC is there in much higher concentrations. But with our hand wash, for instance, it is in there and it does moisturise,” Tillbrook explains.
In recent years, the natural, organic and free from movements have evolved into a wider trend towards social responsibility, with many companies making an effort to support the communities that produce their ingredients and minimise their impact on the environment.
Among the companies that boosted their ethical credentials by adopting the new Fairtrade cosmetic standard was Boots, which launched a Fairtrade certified bath and body range, Boots Extracts.
According to Nica Lewis, Fairtrade looks set to migrate from skin care into the bath and shower sector “as the availability of Fairtrade actives increases”.
But while the number of Fairtrade certified products has doubled since the standard’s inception, Lennard is not convinced that ethical trade claims will sway consumers, especially when faced with a choice between a ‘fair’ product and a budget alternative. “Some people value price and some people value their conscience – although people are generally influenced by price,” she notes.
Bubble & Balm founder Acton, however, believes that consumers won’t necessarily need to decide between their bank balance and their conscience. “Fairtrade started out with luxury coffee and then moved into standard coffee,” she explains. “Products can now be functional as well as Fairtrade and consumers don’t have to make a choice.
Lush, meanwhile, focused on the environment, encouraging customers to invest in a £3.95 Knot-Wrap to replace gift wrap and Sara Lee ticked green boxes with its Sanex 0%. Formulated using half the chemical ingredients of regular shower gels, the products are 99.5% biodegradable and are available in eco-refills made with 75% less plastic than a 500ml bottle of Sanex containing an identical volume of gel.
Philosophy proved its commitment to CSR by donating all proceeds of its blackberry sauce charity shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath to the Red Cross Haiti earthquake relief effort.
Free from, natural and organic, and Fairtrade are all areas that will continue to flourish, according to Lennard, although they “will not drive the market” and price will remain the decider when it comes to consumer spend. Brands must therefore keep innovating if they wish to retain that coveted spot in consumers’ bathrooms.
