When it comes to hair care, consumers really do believe "they’re worth it" and stick to named brands. So says Mintel in its recent Shampoo, Conditioners and Styling Products report. Highlighting this, is the fact that last year own-label products accounted for a measly 4% of haircare value sales. Meanwhile, the big sellers were Elvive, Tresemmé, Head & Shoulders, Pantene ProV, Aussie and Herbal Essences and these are the brands your customers will expect to see in your stores.

P&G head of trade communications, Paul Lettice, says that "thanks to consistent product innovation", hair care offers huge sales potential to retailers. "The haircare category can be a lucrative one for convenience retailers as shoppers often use their local store to grab last-minute essentials on the way home. While selling the best shampoos and conditioners is important, retailers should also ensure they are stocking a range of complementary styling products."

P&G’s popular Pantene range was recently relaunched with product upgrades. As a result, there are now three easily identifiable collections: fine hair; normal/thick hair; and coloured hair. Each features customised formulas, providing each strand with exactly what it needs according to specific hair type.

Other innovations from P&G include the launch of Aussie Miracle Shine and a brand refresh for Wash and Go.

A big brand in the deodorants sector is Suremen, with one can sold every five seconds in the UK (IRI data). The product is currently available in a limited edition which promotes the brand’s three-year global sponsorship deal with the Lotus F1 team. The Lotus F1 range has been designed to provide men with 48-hour protection in "high adrenaline" situations.

While Suremen has gone for F1 to help promote it, Lynx has gone for music, and has announced its second annual partnership with Vevo, the all-premium music video and entertainment platform.

David Titman, Lynx senior brand manager, comments: "The partnership is a great opportunity for Lynx to reach its target audience in a relevant environment and also provides an excellent new platform to drive consumer engagement. For Lynx guys, summer means festivals. By working with Vevo for the second year in a row, we will be bringing our fans right to the heart of the action."

A branded "destination experience" will be created by Lynx on the Xbox Live platform, where ticket giveaways and fan votes on hiring and firing the Lynx ’lad on the ground’ will take place.

Meanwhile, Nivea’s new Stress Protect anti-perspirant has been created to help protect against the effects of ’stress’ sweating.

After heat, stress is the second most common trigger for sweating but is very different to the sweat produced from heat or physical exercise. According to experts, it has a more rapid onset and smells much worse, making it harder to control. Nivea Stress Protect is proven to minimise this stress sweat by up to 85% (Daacro Institute TSST test) and helps reduce the formation of body odour.

It comes in a 150ml spray, rrp £2.29; 250ml spray at £3.29, stick at £2.49 and roll-on at £2.03.

Big one

Gillette is the ’big one’ in male grooming and as such, its razors are a ’must stock’ for forecourt stores.

P&G’s Paul Lettice, comments: "As men become more and more attuned to personal grooming and aspire to look their absolute best, the male grooming category shows no sign of slowing down. Retailers should therefore ensure they have a leading, up-to-date range of products available to cater for top-up and distress purchases of blades and razors, as well as the accompanying shave care products. By stocking a clearly sign-posted range in a prime position within their health and beauty offerings, retailers can encourage trade-up which will lead to further profit and, ultimately, added category value." Lettice adds that where there is only space for one offering, retailers should consider Fusion, which benefits from a year-round high-profile TV campaign for maximum awareness and recognition.

"Retailers can also benefit from dual sales by stocking a range of products that cover all of men’s shave care needs," continues Lettice.

"In our experience, men will normally only ever remember that they need a blade or razor in-store but visual encouragement is key, so where there is space it makes sense to stock the additional shave prep products.

"Eight out of 10 men in the UK choose Gillette and we believe that’s because our products deliver the best performance on the market. Year after year we strive to understand men’s needs and work to consistently improve the shaving and grooming experience. So it makes perfect sense for retailers to review their current range and evaluate whether they are stocking best sellers and making the most of this huge category."

The UK’s number one female blades and razor brand is Gillette Venus (IRI data), which has three new products for women with sensitive skin. The Venus ProSkin MoistureRich razor is designed for women who want to protect their skin as they shave. This razor features three blades and built-in shave gel bars enhanced with body butters that release a triple blend of olive, kokum and avocado, creating a layer of protection.

Then there’s the Venus ProSkin Sensitive razor, which is designed to achieve a close shave with less irritation. It has five floating blades spaced close together to reduce pressure and achieve a closer shave, plus an extra-rich protective ribbon of moisture that lubricates and protects the skin.

Venus SatinCare Pure & Delicate shave gel has been specially designed for sensitive skin and formulated to complement all Venus razors for a closer, more efficient shave. The shave gel enhances glide and protects against nicks and cuts.

Finally, although consumers might not be as ’cash rich’ as they once were, they still seem to be as ’time poor’. And one of the things they apparently don’t have time for is waiting for body moisturiser to dry. But now they don’t have to thanks to new Nivea in-shower body moisturiser. You apply this after washing in the shower, then rinse it off. It works by leaving a "nourishing layer of moisture" on the skin and a "soft skin feeling that lasts all day". There are two variants: one with sea minerals and one with almond oil. Recommended retail price is £3.56 for 250ml.

Sunshine lines

Every pair of Foster Grant sunglasses features MaxBlock lenses to guarantee 100% UV protection for the eyes.
The latest collection is inspired by catwalk trends so animal prints and floral motifs feature on the women’s fashion styles while flash and coloured mirror lenses are found on the men’s and sport sunglasses.
Foster Grant’s new in-store display stands have eye-catching graphics and include a range of distinctive tags to assist product selection.
Retail prices start from as little as £10.50.

Top tips

Ideally the health and beauty care category should be located in the first third of a store to maximise footfall opportunities. Often convenience shoppers aren’t actually aware that their local store stocks health and beauty products so this will help to build awareness.
Health and beauty care should be clearly differentiated from the rest of the store. Creating a different look and feel can be achieved simply with different coloured shelf cards or key visuals.
Merchandise sub-categories together on-shelf to make it easier for the shopper to navigate. Where possible, ensure femcare is separated from men’s toiletries.
Source: P&G ShelfHelp

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