Mass appeal: Do serious ethnic hair care shoppers take mass seriously?
For ethnic consumers—especially African-American shoppers—hair care is a serious purchase that is not taken lightly. This is a fact that beauty supply stores have been privy to for years, and they have stocked their shelves with the brands these beauty mavens trust. In recent years, traditional mass merchants have stepped up their efforts, but are those efforts enough?
Traditional retailers that successfully can tap into this critical consumer segment, which is projected to hit $1.1 trillion in buying power by 2012, likely will see a bolstered basket size—an extremely attractive notion, given today’s economic climate.
When it comes to hair care, a commonly referenced statistic in the industry indicates that, while African-Americans make up about 13% of the American population, they account for 30% of hair care spending.
The numbers are no doubt impressive, but let’s move beyond the stats. Why is hair care so important among African-American shoppers?
The ethnic hair care segment is different from mainstream hair care in that African-American hair is delicate and it is easy for hair to get tangled, pulled and broken. Curly/kinky hair needs moisture, and some may experience dry, itchy scalp. Because of this, African-American beauty shoppers tend to be brand loyal and want products formulated for their hair type.
Market research by BET Networks, a provider of entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience, found that 59% of African-American women said their hair care brands are important to them, and 91% said they purchase products formulated for their hair type. These beauty shoppers want products that offer unique benefits; in fact, more than 70% of respondents said they would spend more on such products.
Styling products are high on their shopping lists, with such products—especially those products that promise to meet common needs and offer shine, smooth and hold—accounting for 51% of all hair care use among African-American women.
When reaching this consumer segment, television still appears to be an effective vehicle (as 57% of African-American women said they notice hair care ads on television) but getting the word out via stylists also is important. In fact, 59% of respondents said they use brands recommended by their stylists.
More than one-third of these shoppers also like to research products and brands before they buy, so those retailers and manufacturers that can help educate, say via the Web or in-store materials, are likely to reap the benefits.
That being said, in-store promotions also could spell greater sales, as these shoppers often make impulse purchases (33%).