Brands and retailers are missing a potential 13 million consumers by failing to cater to the needs of menopausal women, a new study claims.
Generation Menopause: The Invisibility Report by education platform Gen M has found that 91% of consumers experiencing the menopause have never seen any specific advertising or marketing for products that target the end of the menstrual cycle.
The paper argues that consumer goods companies readily target the vegan market, but ignore "the untapped potential for brands... better servicing the menopause market”, which, at over twenty times the size of the vegan market, “is currently failing to meet consumer expectations”.
More than half of menopausal women want shop assistants to be better educated on their purchasing needs and for brands to make menopausal products accessible in store.
A further 43% of menopausal women are calling for brands to launch the right products to help those experiencing the menopause, as well as including clearer information on their websites.
“This research has substantiated that brands and retailers are not currently meeting the needs of women at a time in their lives when they need support the most," said Heather Jackson, co-founder of Gen M.
"As women go through ‘the change’, brands equally need to do the same. The research highlights that retailers and brands, though unintentionally, are falling short of connecting and servicing the menopausal woman through uninspiring, unreflective and limited product and marketing offerings.
"There is a clear commercial opportunity to really capitalise on untapped consumer demand and we welcome collaborations and partnerships with brands and retailers who are ahead of their competitors in recognising this.
"Given the numbers, it’s illogical to underestimate or ignore this colossal market force – with whose affinity and engagement, you can only expect to prosper.”
In July, a study by beauty brand Avon found that nearly half of menopausal British women did not feel prepared for 'the change' until they started experiencing symptoms.
The Menopause TLI. Too Little Information… The Global Conversation Deficit report in partnership with broadcaster and general practitioner, Dr Sarah Jarvis, found that 51% of women were unaware of the perimenopause's existence.
