Mintel: Deodorant, antiperspirant industry brings in big bucks (without breaking a sweat)

CHICAGO — The deodorant and antiperspirant industry in the United States will continue to relish in the sweet smell of success through 2016 and beyond, according to a new Mintel report.

Mintel found in its research that while deodorant use among U.S. teenagers is at 92%, making them on par with adults, 93% of teens said they favor scented products, versus 78% of adults that prefer scented products. When it comes to brand loyalty, half of Mintel respondents reported experimenting with other brands in the past 12 months, but fewer than 1-in-5 completely switched brands. What's more, younger users were significantly more likely to make the switch than their older counterparts, which reinforced the idea that the young consumer group should be the core focus for marketers.

"Teens and adults have different requirements for their deodorants, so it's important that manufacturers market to each segment appropriately," Mintel global personal care analyst Amy Ziegler said. "Marketers should consider distributing samples at teen-oriented clothing stores and using social networking sites to build interest in their brands."

Mintel also found that when it came to who made purchasing decisions, about 40% of women said they pick out or purchase their significant other's antiperspirant/deodorant, versus only 18% of men who do the same for their partners. Even when marketing products to men, Mintel noted, the response of female consumers to packaging, scent and branding should be taken into account.

And how does the "all-natural" and "organic" movement translate to this industry? Mintel's research confirmed that only 1-in-10 people usually use antiperspirant/deodorant with all-natural ingredients and fewer than 1-in-20 buy all-organic products. "However, 14% of women and 16% of men report having skin that is easily irritated by antiperspirant/deodorant, which could help drive the all-natural, organic and hypoallergenic formulations in the future," Ziegler noted.