male grooming

Focus On: Male Grooming by Daniel Selwood

Download synopsis PDF here

Publishing: 28th July

Online Listicle goes live: 27th July

Submissions deadline: 4 July

Advertising deadline: 13 July

The Story

After almost stabilising last year, male grooming sales have dipped back into the negative, driven by shoppers who want to spend less and buy less often. Razors have fallen further out of favour and deodorants are down, yet fragrances have achieved an impressive turnaround and growth. This year’s figures don’t account for shaving subscriptions, however. Whilst subscription shaving remains relatively low in the UK, the arrival of the Dollar Shave Club in February just might turn that all around. Has the DSC had any effect on the market so far? How are the brands that stand to lose a lot from subscription shaving responding?

Themes to cover

Skincare: Branded skincare volumes soared 14.6% over the past year, driven by cheaper prices and big names keeping natural products trendy. Who are the newcomers to the sector, what are the top skincare launches of the past year and how is consumer demand for male skincare products changing?

Shampoo: Sales of shampoo are flying, with both branded and own label shampoos enjoying strong value growth. OL products dropped their already cheap prices further with big cuts, making branded shampoos more than three times as expensive. On the other side, branded products are benefitting from increased penetration and premiumisation. Why are male shoppers more concerned with their barnet this year, and how are branded shampoos justifying the extra cost?

Fragrances: Despite rising prices, fragrances saw strong growth this year in both value and volume, driven by new shoppers. What’s attracting customer to the relatively expensive category? Which brands have benefitted from the influx of new shoppers, and what role has marketing played in the category’s success?

Retail strategy: What are the strategies separating the winners from the losers this year? Is it all about price, or are other factors at play?

Innovations: We identify four new products or product ranges that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before, including launch date, RSP and image.

Online Listicle: Outlining the latest male skincare products that focus on natural ingredients. 

Key questions the feature is likely to address:

  • What consumer trends have impacted the category over the past year?
  • How have promotional strategies (both in terms of price and marketing) evolved?
  • How have individual retailers’ strategies impacted the market?
  • How has merchandising changed in the market?
  • What impact has own-label had on branded players?

Downloads