Fifty nuances of beauty products market

Relaunching sales of makeup products and shower gels masks badly the depression of the beauty and hygiene market.

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The effect was immediate. As of March 15, the day after the lifting of the obligation to wear the mask in France, sales of lipsticks gave themselves up. Women have given in to the urge to renew the sticks of pigmented wax that they had neglected since the start of the COVVI-19 pandemic: sales increased by 53.5 %, in hypermarkets and supermarkets, according to the IRI data analysis company, and 30 % in the stores of Sephora, Nocibé and other resellers of selective brands, according to NPD Group, during the week of March 14. Monoprix, a heavyweight of the sale of beauty products in the city center, observes “upward trends in recent weeks”. The attendance of makeup shops, those used in shopping centers under Kiko or Nyx Professional Makeup, for example, is also increasing.

This rebound is timely. Brands have multiplied the launches during this spring. Chanel launched its red Allure, a reference released on the market in 2006, in a so -called “Slim” version, rechargeable. L’Oréal also multiplies the launches: in May, under its marks Maybelline New York, with the vinyl ink, a very bright liquid lipstick, or in L’Oréal, with a balm formulated at 98 % natural ingredients, as that in the Provençale, its organic brand. All brands and distributors have already invested millions in advertising campaigns (+ 25 % in the first two months of 2022, compared to those of 2021, according to Kantar).

revival of activity

L’Oréal, world number one of cosmetics, has been waiting for this rebound for a long time. In 2020, sales of lipsticks collapsed. Most women had then given up putting on their lips, for fear of smelling under their mask, or for lack of opportunities to wear them. Remote work would have encouraged women to abandon their beauty routines. The slightest social life would also have undermined the habits of the French. Because, what good is it to make up if you don’t see anyone? In 2021, sales of beauty products had returned to growth, at + 9 %, without however caught the level of 2019. And, ultimately, the makeup market remained below 13 % in volumes and 28.5 % in value compared to 2019.

Consequently, the spring of 2022 gives them a balm to the heart. Distributors and brands have also observed a revival of activity on the shelves of hygiene products. Toothpaste and toothbrushes are sold better, with increases of 13.5 % and 21 %, respectively, in March 2022, according to IRI. A revival which is explained by promotional operations undertaken in March in supermarkets, the first circuit for the sale of hygiene products in France. Sales of shampoos and deodorants also increased in March (respectively + 13 % and + 9.8 %).

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/Media reports.