Shaving, skin care products for him gain buzz
Men's grooming is one of the fastest-growing segments within beauty, as evidenced by rising sales figures and the recent push by retailers to bolster offerings just for him.
"Today, men's grooming trends get almost as much Hollywood buzz as women's hairstyles and red carpet fashion. Whether it is a perfectly manicured mustache, a smooth shave or just a daily grooming ritual, men are tending to themselves more and more," stated Debra Mednick, executive director of The NPD Group's home business, when announcing that men's grooming tools were the buzz for holiday 2012.
Today, however, men's grooming isn't just about razors and trimmers. A recently released trend report by JWTIntelligence found that 54% of American and British men surveyed said that skin care, such as eye cream and moisturizer, was acceptable. In addition, NPD found that at least 7-out-of-10 men are buying facial skin care products for themselves.
Euromonitor reported that the male grooming category increased its global revenues by an average of 6% per annum since 2006, to reach nearly $33 billion in 2011.
These are impressive numbers that are difficult to ignore, and retailers and manufacturers are taking note — in a big way.
Walgreens announced in late June that Boots' No7 Men skin care products are now available chainwide at Walgreens and Duane Reade locations.
"No7 Men is an exciting opportunity to meet the expanding needs of our male customers. The daily regimen consists of cleansers, SPF moisturizers and anti-aging solutions. No7 Men is a wonderful addition to our male grooming product portfolio," stated Shannon Curtin, Walgreens' divisional VP and GMM for beauty, personal care and seasonal.
Earlier this year, Amazon.com launched its new men's grooming platform. The men's grooming area features such products as skin care, body care, shave, hair care, oral care, and kits and gifts sets. The site also features a series of "how-to guides."
Meanwhile, manufacturers are stepping up their efforts. Beiersdorf's Nivea Men recently developed the Silence the Irritation campaign to help educate men on the role that skin care plays in providing a comfortable shave.
Dove Men+Care, a Unilever brand, announced in early February the launch of a new skin care line for men — marking the brand's first foray into facial care products. The new Dove Men+Care Face Range includes cleansing, shaving, post-shave and facial care products. Unilever also broadened its Axe brand with a new facial range for guys, including face wash, shave gel and post-shave hydrator products.