Indian metrosexual males are all geared up to experiment with a wide range of grooming products. Riding on this fast growing trend, consumer product companies have launched as many as 177 new male grooming brands or variants between April 2018 and March 2019.
According to market research and insights firm Nielsen, the size of the male grooming segment has now touched the ₹5,000 crore-mark in urban India, clocking a growth of about 12.3 per cent compared to last year. While shaving and face care products continue to account for over 50 per cent of the male grooming pie, new categories such as bodycare and haircare are also fuelling the growth of the segment.
The Nielsen report estimates that bodycare category which includes deodorants, soaps and body washes contributes 41 per cent to the overall male grooming segment. Haircare products like hair styling gels, hair oils, hair dyes, shampoos and hair conditioners, contributes 6 per cent to the segment, and is pegged at ₹300 crore. “Though the emergence of male haircare products category maybe a new trend but it is growing at 20.4 per cent,” the report added.
‘Not limited to metros’
Sunil Khiani, Lead Retail Measurement Services, Nielsen South Asia, pointed out that sales of male grooming products is not just limited to metros. “Within the ₹5,000 crore male grooming market in urban India, nearly a third of sales comes from Tier-1 towns and 21 per cent of the sales comes from urban towns with less than 1 lakh population — with both markets growing faster than metros,” he said.
He added that for male exclusive categories — namely shaving preparations, blades and razors, after shave lotions and hair gels — rural market’s contribution is nearly 35 per cent of the sales.
Key drivers
Modern trade retail format has been quick to capitalise on this trend, and has become the preferred channel of distribution. “A fourth of the sales in the male grooming category is generated by modern trade. Importantly, the category is growing at 1.5 times faster in modern trade than in traditional trade,” the report added.
Sharang Pant, Lead Retailer Vertical, Nielsen South Asia, added, “Innovation on pricing (low unit packs), packaging (easy-to-stock and carry) and on formats, along with innovative ways of reaching the consumers by using e-commerce and modern trade channels are the key drivers which will enable the growth for the male grooming segment.”
Meanwhile, in terms of size, north India is the the largest market for male grooming products, closely followed by the western region.