Focus on Personal Care: 6 April

By Rob Brown rob_j_a_brown@hotmail.com

Publishing: 6 April 2024

Advertising deadline: 22 March 2024

Submissions deadline: 15 March 2024

Print, digital and sponsorship opportunities

The hashtag #dupe, short for “duplicate” has generated 5.3bn views on TikTok, with users sharing affordable versions of luxury beauty products. The event taps into two trends: the desire for lower cost products and the increasing importance of social media for brands. What can the rise of the “dupe” show us about how these forces are affecting brands and own label products in the skincare, hair and cosmetics? And with consumers buying more affordable versions of expensive items, how can brands create – and maintain – a sense of loyalty?

Barbie mania and dopamine glam: What viral trends have affected beauty products in the past year – and what can they tell us about 2024’s must-have products? To what extent are brands controlling this narrative, versus riding the wave? Can they keep up with fast-shifting online trends?

A tale of two suns: Sun care has seen extraordinary growth in the past year, with value up 22.8% on volumes up 10.6%, with even more robust figures for sun protection. Meanwhile, artificial tan values shrank 22.9% and volumes contracted by 8.1%. But why are consumers piling on the sun creams and shunning the tanners? And are they likely to continue?

Own label stealing territory: Cheaper own label products are gaining ground on brands in areas such as haircare. Meanwhile, retailers are investing more in own label products. Will they push further into brands’ share of the market?

Innovations: Profile of four new products or ranges that have not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each