Market research: Oral hygiene a high priority to cost-conscious consumers

NEW YORK The stumbling economy has increased the demand for oral care products that work as effectively as professional tools, according to a new consumer market research report.

This cost-conscious approach to oral care has intensified demand for mainstream toothpaste, mouthwash and manual brushes capable of substituting for a professional caliber cleaning within the comfort of consumers’ homes and the confines of their budgets.

Multifunctional oral care products featuring whitening power properties are particularly popular, and helped U.S. retail sales of oral care products intended for consumer use amount to more than $9 billion in 2008, according to U.S. Market for Oral Care Products, 7th Edition, a new report from market research publisher Packaged Facts. The level represented an increase of more than 3% over the almost $8.8 billion the oral care market achieved in 2007.

Over the counter oral care, a market that qualifies as mature because the size of its consumer base nearly matches the size of the entire nation, can rely on population growth asan ongoing positive factor. Such growth may be slow, and not always able to overpower negative economic or societal conditions every single year, but the net result for oral care saleswill always trend positive over time.

“Virtually everyone brushes his or her teeth, and huge components of the U.S. population chew oral care gum, or gargle mouthwash. Such widespread use of basic-need products results in an oral care market that is mature in its essence, whether or not it can be stimulated by clever product innovation, or equally clever positioning, advertising, and promotion,” says Packaged Facts publisher Tatjana Meerman.

Packaged Facts projects the oral care market will attain solid progress during the 2008-2014 period, with retail sales anticipated to total nearly $11 billion by the end of the six years. This equates to an expansion of more than 20%, or a robust $1.8 billion. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 3%, though not staggering, spells modest progress for such a large dollar base.