Men’s grooming revolution is officially underway
There is a paradigm shift under way in the men’s grooming category, and electric shavers, as well as the retailers that sell them, are feeling the effects of this revolution.
(Click here to read the full Category Review.)
Men are taking care of their appearance more than ever, and they are seeking grooming solutions that allow them to create unique looks. These grooming solutions are not “one size fits all.” The solution may be comprised of an electric shaver, a razor, skin care products, only one of these or all of the above.
Grooming today has become less about one or the other — electric shaver versus wet blades — and more about multiple tools for varying needs. Experts say men increasingly are using a combination of wet blade razors, electric shavers, beard trimmers and other tools.
“Consumers are looking for solutions to help them manage their facial hair, but over the past decade this has changed a lot,” said Ray Larney, VP/head of U.S. retail sales at Philips Consumer Lifestyle. “No longer are consumers shaving every day, so they are seeking out solutions to help them groom, style and clean shave. Most consumers today change their facial hair over the course of a week, which makes a solution complicated. Philips launched OneBlade with these consumer trends in mind.”
The sales data support the fact that grooming trends are evolving. According to IRI, sales of razors are actually leading the growth in the overall grooming category. Sales of razors topped $511 million in the 52-week period ending Oct. 30, an increase of nearly 12% from the previous year. Sales of electric shavers decreased 0.5% (compared to last year) during the same period.
“The biggest trend in the grooming space is the shift from electric shavers to beard trimmers,” said Bruce Kramer, director of global strategic initiatives at Wahl Clipper Corp. “For the past two years, electric (i.e., rechargeable) beard trimmers have outsold electric shavers, and that trend is anticipated to continue as men shave less than in previous generations. With the casualization of our society, today’s man shaves on average two to three times per week versus five to six times per week 10 to 15 years ago. Men allow a bit of stubble, then knock it down periodically, which a trimmer is ideally suited to doing versus needing the totally smooth cut of an electric shaver.”
Shaving demographics
In terms of multicultural trends, Kramer said all men today have grooming needs, but it does vary by age, lifestyle and ethnicity. He said the biggest segment in the electric category is the beard trimmer segment. With 65% of all men sporting facial hair at some time during the course of the year, the need to have a tool to properly groom is paramount.
“The answer is about appealing to all brackets with different products. Lower incomes may choose an OPP electric shaver to shave themselves and save money versus buying wet blades,” Kramer said. “Others of higher incomes will select our premium stainless steel lithium ion trimmer, the most advanced multi-groomer in today’s market. Likewise, African Americans are looking for ultra-close cutting trimmers to detail their look and provide razor-bump free trimming and shaving — our new T-Styler Pro is the right product for them.”
According to Technavio, the men’s grooming industry is expanding all across the globe, and is estimated to bring in $21 billion in revenue in 2016. Technavio’s latest report on the global personal care appliances market identifies the top-three emerging trends driving the global personal care appliances market:
Frequent travelers fuel demand for travel-size appliances;
Trend of smart personal appliances; and
Focus on specific target customers to increase presence.
When it comes to how retailers can address the evolving needs and wants of today’s shopper, they have learned the importance of having displays with strong features and benefit information, but that also allow consumers to test the product. Many retailers have adopted “Touch & Learn” technology.
“The retailers that are winning have two common characteristics,” Larney of Philips said. “They make the segment more shoppable by giving consumers access to the product (not locked behind glass), and they support the segment with secondary displays during key selling periods like Father’s Day, Back to School/College and the holidays. This sounds basic, but that tactic is helping retailers gain their fair share across the entire omnichannel.”
Larney said the drug channel specifically does a good job in the grooming category.
“Because their footprint is much smaller, they tend to have smaller sets, but they make the best use of space by focusing on the key one or two brands and then flex their space with secondary display during key selling periods,” he said.