Mintel: Scent and Moisturization Primary Consumer HBC Needs

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April 12, 2011

The top attributes consumers look for when shopping for soap, bath and shower products are scent and moisturization, according to Mintel research

Thirty-eight percent of Mintel respondents who have purchased soap said their decision is based mainly on scent, while 35 percent said they prefer shower products with extra moisturizers.

“Although many top brands have answered demand for these qualities, there are substantial opportunities for private label brands to enter this arena during the slow economic recovery,” said Kat Fay, senior beauty analyst at Mintel. “The U.S. soap consumer is looking for bargains now more than ever as household budgets remain tight, therefore private label brands need to have a lower price -point and deliver lather, fragrance and significant moisturizing ingredients.”

Meanwhile, well over half of Mintel’s respondents (60 percent) claim that finding soap or body wash products on sale or the cheapest is important/very important to them, and 18 percent of soap-buying consumers say they look for the least expensive brand of soap or body wash.

“While this segment is often targeted towards women, men are starting to make a substantial impact in the market of bubbles…a plain old bar of soap is no longer going to cut it,” Mintel said. Men between the ages of 18 and 34 report the highest usage of body wash at 58 percent, compared to 50 percent of those aged 35 to 54 and 42 percent of those who are 55 and older.

“Men represent a key demographic for sales of body wash products and marketers of these products should attempt to gain the attention of men to boost their sales,” said Fay. “Having said that, a whopping 74 percent of women buy liquid body soap or wash compared to 50 percent of men — so women are still the key purchasers.”

With the growing trend of body wash, it seems people need a little help lathering up, so it isn’t surprising that scrubbers and massagers grew nearly 10 percent in 2010, according to Mintel, which expects this segment to continue growing by 63 percent between 2010 and 2015.

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