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Business News/ Companies / News/  Male grooming in India moves beyond shaving creams and shampoos
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Male grooming in India moves beyond shaving creams and shampoos

Indian men have for years fuelled the growth of shaving-specific products (creams, gels, razors) that till date remain the largest category in the male grooming market

Beard and moustache care products in the form of oil, wash and wax have become a topic of discussion on social media,Premium
Beard and moustache care products in the form of oil, wash and wax have become a topic of discussion on social media,

New Delhi: As Indian men expand their grooming routine beyond shaving and smelling good, fast moving consumer goods companies are adding more beard grooming, body-care and facial grooming products in the market in a sign that male grooming needs are moving beyond tubes of shaving cream and razors. Between April 2018-March 2019, FMCG companies put out an estimated 177 new male grooming brands and variants, market researcher Nielsen said in a recent report.

Indian men have for years fuelled the growth of shaving-specific products (creams, gels, razors) that till date remain the largest category in the male grooming market here. In fact, products related to shaving and face care continue to account for over 50% of the male grooming market in India, but “newer focus areas like body and hair care are fuelling growth" of the estimated Rs5,000 crore urban male grooming market, researcher Nielsen said. “Grooming services for men have traditionally included only the basic haircut and shaving. In recent times however, metrosexual men have become more conscious of grooming, and now demand a far wider range of products and services from the market," Nielsen’s report said.

Moreover, the influence of social media and personal styles of cricketers, and actors are prompting Indian men to pursue the latest trends in grooming, the report said. Consequently, manufacturers have begun launching many more grooming products for them.

These include new categories such as wax, butter, pomade. Moreover, beard and moustache care products in the form of oil, wash and wax have become a topic of discussion on social media, Nielsen observed.

Indian companies have for years sold more female specific personal care and beauty products with men largely relying on those for their grooming needs. However, over the last decade companies such as Marico, Emami, Nivea and Loreal have bolstered their range of male specific hair styling gels, shampoos, and face washes in response to growing and specific grooming needs of men. Now, as the male grooming market has matured beyond these products adjacent categories are seeing an uptick in demand.

"Shaving has traditionally been the biggest part of the male grooming regimen, which has gradually evolved first to basic body care and then in recent times to hair care. The linear journey has now got layered with styling products including hair colours and hair gels, as well as specialized grooming products like face wash targeted for beards," Nielsen added. These specialized products for body and hair are growing at twice the rate of the traditional male grooming products for face and shaving, Nielsen said.

And some of the biggest consumer goods makers are capitalising on these trends.

Last week, the local arm of British consumer goods major Reckitt Benckiser (RB) launched a hair removal cream for men under its popular Veet brand in a sign that India’s fairly small, but growing male grooming category is drawing more shoppers and prompting some of the world’s largest companies to offer more products than just shaving creams, and deodorants. RB has roped in Bollywood celebrity Kartik Aryan to endorse the depilatory product that RB also sells in other global markets.

“We have seen 177 new launches in the current year , and just over a 150 launches in the previous year in male grooming space. So clearly, it’s gaining momentum, and has become a big focus for manufacturers. Marketers and manufacturers are continuing to capitalise on increasing consumer awareness and experimentation with products which are driven by increased need for self care," said Sunil Khilani, lead retail measurement services , Nielsen south Asia.

The big fast moving consumer goods companies are taking the lead to grow the category, said Sharang Pant, lead, retailer vertical, Nielsen South Asia. These companies are leveraging their reach and brand pull to drive adoption in traditional and modern trade. New or small companies are more prominent on the e-commerce platform, Pant added.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Suneera Tandon
Suneera Tandon is a New Delhi based reporter covering consumer goods for Mint. Suneera reports on fast moving consumer goods makers, retailers as well as other consumer-facing businesses such as restaurants and malls. She is deeply interested in what consumers across urban and rural India buy, wear and eat. Suneera holds a masters degree in English Literature from the University of Delhi.
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Published: 13 Nov 2019, 05:17 PM IST
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