Stubble’s increasing popularity has been bad news for the big brands, says Nielsen senior analyst Ben Hanson.

While certain brands have taken the opportunity to push more premium products, such as the Barber Club NPD from L’Oréal, this tack has failed to drive growth among the very biggest players.

So while smaller players such as Bulldog (up 25.5%) and The Bluebeards Revenge (up 101.5%) are thriving, larger players are declining.

Top razor manufacturer P&G lost £10.4m in the past year alone, while number one shaving prep brand Gillette fell £1.4m. Even in skincare, the largest are suffering. Nivea Men shed £534k and L’Oréal Men Expert is down £232k.

Loss of space for larger players in an expanding category has meant they have struggled to see growth as new entrants have taken space on shelf.

At the same time, a reduction in promotions has driven up prices of branded products.

Price rises have been a running theme across male grooming. Shower products were the only sub-category not to see an average price increase in the past year.

That’s partly down to premiumisation, driven by deodorant and fragrances.

There has also been a move towards branded goods, which tend to be pricier. Own label sales slumped 6.9% to £61.4m, while branded sales have stayed relatively flat at £830.5m.

Branded deodorant grew at 4.6%, the fastest rate of any branded sector. This was “mainly down to the larger brands such as Dove and Sure stealing spend” says Kantar analyst Sam Blackburn.

In this pricier climate, bargain stores “remain a force to be reckoned with” Blackburn says.