Continued growth expected.

Remington remained the market leader in personal care in 2015, maintaining a value share of 24%, followed by Conair and Procter & Gamble. The personal care category increased by 5% in both volume and value in 2015, driven by the rising importance of personal grooming and hygiene among Australian consumers. However, the average unit price remained static in current terms in 2015. Personal care is set to continue to perform well over the forecast period, increasing volume at a CAGR of 4%, according to Euromonitor research analyst, Hianyang Chan.

“In Australia, personal care was once considered to be the domain of women. However, in recent years, men began to focus on their appearance and this has led to a wider range of unisex personal care products, which cater specifically to the needs of men, being launched,” Chan explained.

philips-beard-trimmer

Hair care

Hair care continued to perform well during 2015 with a 5% increase in volume and value. Price promotions and product differentiation fuelled consumer demand for high-end brands offering multiple features, particularly those relating to hair strength and nourishment.

“Growing beards remained a major trend among Australian men in 2015 and there is no indication that this trend will slow down, let alone disappear in years to come. This trend has been popularised by the so-called ‘hipster’ subculture, which has entered the mainstream in Australia in recent years and this has helped boost sales of hair care products,” Chan said.

Oral care

Oral care also continued to experience positive growth in 2015, with the category rising in volume by 2%, much of which can be attributed to the 7% volume growth recorded in electric toothbrush units.

“The consumer perception has been gradually shifting towards the idea that more effective tools are needed to maintain strong and healthy teeth with a growing awareness of oral diseases. Key factors that have helped drive sales of electric toothbrushes include product innovation and the availability of a wide range of products at different price points,” Chan said.

Hair removal

There is also a trend towards personal care products which offer the beauty salon experience at home. “The latest trend in this respect is the intense pulsed light (IPL) hair removal system, as demand increased during 2015. They offer long-term benefits to consumers such as time savings, professional-like results and cost savings per treatment in comparison with professional hair removal,” he noted.

“This trend is expected to continue to build over the forecast period. Even though IPL hair removal systems only cater to a small proportion of the Australian population, there is still room for these products to achieve further penetration, resulting in strong growth projections for other personal care appliances over the forecast period.”