Beauty and Personal Care

Demand for depilatories in Portugal registered visible retail volume growth in 2023. Hot summer led many Portuguese women to wear outfits that exposed skin, leading to more frequent purchases of depilatories. In addition, high inflation rates in 2022…

The recovery of travel helped depilatories in the Netherlands to limit the decline in retail volume sales to a marginal one in 2023, following a moderate increase in 2022. Strong growth in average unit prices spiked retail current value growth;…

Fragrances emerged as the biggest winner in beauty and personal care during the pandemic, partly due to a decline in duty-free purchases. Surprisingly, despite the return of travel and a rise in duty-free sales in 2022 and 2023, domestic fragrance…

Premium fragrances in Portugal registered positive retail volume growth in 2022, while mass fragrances recorded a decline. Despite Portuguese consumers being more price-sensitive during high levels of inflation, this did not lead to trading down. On…

Fragrances in the Netherlands registered high single-digit retail current value growth in 2023, following a double-digit increase in 2022, to continue its post-Coronavirus (COVID-19) recovery. Retail volume sales also continued to rebound, albeit at…

Hair care experienced significant growth during the pandemic as consumers had more time for self-care and participated in increased outdoor activities. However, the exceptional growth rates seen in 2020 and 2021 have moderated in 2022 and 2023.…

In 2023, retail volume sales of hair care in Portugal registered weak growth, with the performance of standard shampoo, a category with a high rate of penetration in Portuguese households, impacting the overall performance. In addition, mounting…

In 2023, hair care in the Netherlands recorded a strong increase in retail current value sales, inflated by high inflationary pressure on prices, as retail volume sales decreased slightly overall. However, the retail volume performance was mixed,…

Mass beauty and personal care in Norway experienced a noteworthy resurgence in 2023, particularly within fragrance and skin care categories. This reversal comes after a period of consistent share loss to premium beauty and personal care. While price…

Mass beauty and personal care products in Portugal registered positive retail volume growth, with consumers trading down during a time of high inflation levels. Retail volume sales of basic categories, with already high penetration levels, such as…

In 2023, mass beauty and personal care in the Netherlands recorded strong retail current value growth across most categories. This performance was driven by a strong rise in average unit price amid inflationary pressure. However, once again, mass…

While the pandemic did benefit men's grooming sales, the impact was not as significant as in other beauty and personal care categories. This can be attributed to several factors: the market's maturity, a modest premiumisation trend, the growing…

In 2023, men’s grooming in Portugal recorded positive retail value growth, perceived for several years by manufacturers to present a strong opportunity. Nevertheless, and despite some growth, the landscape has been struggling to really take off. For…

Men’s grooming in the Netherlands saw high single-digit retail current value growth in 2023, supported by average unit price increases. While overall retail volume sales dropped, there were positive growth performances for men’s deodorants and…

In 2023, oral care is a well-established product area in Norway with limited room for volume growth, particularly in core categories like manual toothbrushes and toothpaste. Additionally, intense price competition, especially from low-cost stores…

In Portugal, oral care continued to be considered an essential category in 2023, with brushing teeth being part of the daily basic hygiene routine. Toothpaste and manual toothbrushes, in particular, are very mature categories with very high…

Overall, oral care in the Netherlands saw a minor decline in retail volume sales in 2023, while retail current value sales grew strongly. As was the case in many categories of beauty and personal care, the growth in retail value sales was mainly…

Premium beauty and personal care in Norway experienced a resurgence in 2023, following a slowdown in 2022. Premiumisation remains the defining trend within Norwegian beauty and personal care. Consumers increasingly seek products formulated with…

The polarisation trends seen over the review period continued to be seen on Portugal's premium beauty and personal care landscape in 2023. Despite inflationary pressures from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and eroded disposable incomes, premium…

Premium beauty and personal care in the Netherlands saw strong retail current value growth in 2023. This was the first year with no Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions on the opening hours of beauty and personal care retailers since the outbreak of…

Following a period of exceptional growth fuelled by the pandemic and a rising focus on self-care, skin care in Norway has experienced a slowdown in 2022 and 2023. This can be attributed to the market's increasing maturity. While the pandemic led to a…

In 2023, skin care in Portugal recorded positive retail volume growth, despite high inflation pressure on purchasing power. Portuguese consumers are increasingly concerned about their self-image and facial skin appearance, which is driving growth in…

In 2023, skin care in the Netherlands recorded a strong increase in retail current value sales, supported by inflationary pressure on prices, as retail volume sales declined. Hand care witnessed the biggest decline in retail volume sales and only a…

In 2023, sun care in Norway was a highly volatile category, heavily influenced by the country's unpredictable weather. The pandemic provided a temporary boost as staycations led to increased domestic sun care consumption. However, with the return of…

In 2023, sun care in Portugal saw a strong retail value and volume performance, continuing the trends noted during the review period. Products benefited from ongoing awareness of the necessity to protect the skin from negative effects of the sun.…

Sun care in the Netherlands benefited as travel and tourism flows continued to recover from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions on mobility. As people started to travel more, there was an increase in beach and other holidays, which boosted the…

Excluding hair care and baby wipes, the baby and child-specific category registered volume decline in Greece in 2023, with current value growth resulting from unit price rises. Volume decline can be attributed to falling birth rates, leading to…

Baby and child-specific products in Sweden maintained its positive trajectory in 2023. While volume sales remained stable, value sales received a boost from inflation and a growing preference for premium products. Swedish parents prioritise their…

Baby and child-specific products in Switzerland posted further positive retail current value growth in 2023. However, with only slight retail volume growth, the healthy increase in retail current value terms was mainly due to price increases. Baby…

In 2023, growth in the largest subcategory in beauty and personal care in Greece, body wash/shower gel, was driven by price increases and tourism. Private label registered brand share growth owing to the tightening of household budgets.

Bath and shower, as a product area as a whole, faces challenges due to its high degree of maturity and commodification. This translates to declining volume sales. However, a silver lining exists in the form of a strong premiumisation trend and…

In 2023, bath and shower in Switzerland posted good retail current value growth. However, with only a slight increase in retail volume terms, retail current value growth owed most to inflationary pressure on the prices of products. Retail value…

High inflation and its subsequent impact on local consumers’ disposable income significantly impacted purchasing habits and brand developments across beauty and personal care in Greece in 2023.

Beauty and personal care in Sweden remained stable in terms of volume sales in 2023. However, value growth was significant due to a powerful trend towards premiumisation and high inflation. Swedes view beauty and personal care products as essential,…

Overall, in 2023, beauty and personal care in Switzerland registered a slight increase in retail volume sales and moderate rise in retail current value sales. However, the retail current value performance was boosted by the global and domestic…

As the category hardest hit by COVID-19 due to the closure of department stores and beauty specialist retailers, limited social occasions and mask-wearing, colour cosmetics recorded current value growth in Greece in 2023 but has still yet to return…

Colour cosmetics in Sweden continues to flourish, demonstrating strong post-pandemic sales. While volume growth has slowed down due to market maturity, value sales remain robust. This is fuelled by a powerful premiumisation trend, a steady stream of…

Colour cosmetics in Switzerland posted good retail current value growth in 2023. This was mostly due to inflationary pressure on prices with retail volume sales seeing a slow increment. Higher average unit prices were mainly caused by increased…

2023 was very positive for deodorants in Greece, as both core deodorant categories, roll-ons and sprays, recorded strong growth in volume terms. This can be attributed to the increased use of deodorants due to a changing climate and higher inbound…

Deodorant sales in Sweden exhibited stagnation in 2023. Volume sales remained flat, with any growth in value primarily driven by inflation and a modest premiumisation trend. Deodorants are considered an essential beauty and personal care product,…

Deodorants in Switzerland posted further positive retail volume and current value growth in 2023. While inflationary pressure on prices stimulated retail current value sales, growth was in line with the retail volume increase. The hot and long summer…

A chronically declining category, hair removers and bleaches has seen an uptick in sales in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this increase can be attributed to increased willingness amongst consumers to socialise.

Depilatories remained a relatively uneventful category in 2023. While the continued popularity of the Estrid brand injects some innovation, overall growth is modest. Depilatory products are considered an essential item by most Swedish women, leading…

Depilatories in Switzerland saw positive retail volume and current value growth in 2023. However, this development was mainly due to the good performance of women’s razors and blades. This category posted the only increase in retail volume terms and…

During the pandemic, the main channels for premium fragrances, department stores and beauty specialist retailers, suffered the biggest losses, while home seclusion and limited opportunities for going out and socialising dampened demand. However,…

A powerful current of premiumisation is sweeping fragrances in Sweden. Consumers are increasingly drawn to niche or artisanal scents, seeking individuality and exclusivity. These unique olfactory experiences offer a way to stand out from the crowd.…

Fragrances in Switzerland posted a positive growth performance in 2023, albeit slight in retail volume terms. Retail current value growth was stimulated by the inflationary context, which led to unit price and retail selling price increases.…

Hair care registered current value growth in 2023, driven largely by price rises. The two key categories of standard shampoos and conditioners and treatments saw volume sales decline, despite current value growth. For shampoos, price rises were…

Hair care in Sweden continues to see positive volume growth, with value further boosted by inflation and a modest premiumisation trend. Unlike other beauty and personal care categories like fragrances and skin care, hair care has not witnessed a…

Hair care in Switzerland continued to register retail volume and current value growth in 2023. As consumers resumed out-of-home lifestyles, they were more inclined to spend on hair care. Retail current value growth was faster than volume growth as…