Focus On Personal Care: 27 September

by Emma Weinbren (emmaweinbrenwrites@gmail.com)

Publishing: 27 September 2025

Copy deadline: 12 September 2025

Submissions deadline: 5 September 2025

Will 2025 be the year that refillable toiletries finally clean up? If the ongoing expansion of sustainable brands, as well as the growth in reusable period care brands, is anything to go by, it could be. But which brands are in strongest growth? How is this affecting sales of the big players? How are they responding? What other selling points (such as the natural cues of brands) are striking a chord?

In-store marketing, merchandising and theatre: This feature will pay close attention to how retailers are trying to improve shopping experiences in store and online and the extent to which this is helping different retail groups win share and create points of difference.

Brands v own-label: This feature will explore how the balance between brands and own-label has changed over the past year. Which retailers have been pushing own label products the most in the past year and how are brands fighting back? How do they compare on price, product quality and the like?

Marketing: We will also be looking at how the big brands are using their marketing budgets to convince shoppers to continue putting them in their baskets. How reliant are they on celebrity endorsements, primetime TV ads and digital? And how can challengers with shallower pockets cut through the noise?

Retail share: This feature will explore how different retailers are managing the category in terms of ranging, promotions and balancing brands and own label product assortments. How are brands working with retailers to create excitement in the fixture? Which retailers are in strongest growth and why?

Innovation: The past year has seen plenty of innovation in personal care. This feature will explore the latest trends and how this is playing out in terms of product innovation. We will profile four new products or ranges.