Hair care in new dimensions

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2024/4

Renewal inside and outside

Mariann Karsai
brand manager
Henkel

“The growth was value-driven, generated by price increases, as volume sales in the hair care market dropped 1.4% (in terms of items sold) in 2023. Fortunately, the trend reversed by the end of the year”,

says Mariann Karsai, brand manager at Henkel Magyarország Kft.

Shampoo is the biggest hair care segment, accounting for 66.9% of value sales in 2023. Drugstores are the most important sales channel, realising 68.6% of the category’s retail sales last year. 2023 was very successful for Henkel, with sales growth across all segments of the hair care market and all of its major brands.

In 2024 the entire Schwarzkopf brand, including the Gliss brand, undergoes a renewal, both in terms of brand message and product development. The full Gliss portfolio will be updated, and the shampoos will get a new fragrance and a new-generation, innovative formula that strengthens and cleans hair effectively, without weighing it down. Plus a comprehensive care scale is going to be introduced in 2024: on each Gliss product a scale of 1 to 3 will indicate the care strength of the product.

Driven by trends

There is also growing demand for more professional hair care products in the consumer goods market.

Luca Varga
trade marketing manager
L’Oréal Magyarország

“Several new product lines have been created to cater for the variety of hair types and needs, specifically tailored to the needs of users”,

says Luca Varga, trade marketing manager of L’Oréal Magyarország. The most innovation-driven segment is treatment, and shoppers are looking for products that solve several problems instantly. The main goal in most cases is to achieve more and better results with fewer products in less time.

A major contributor to the growth of the hair care category is L’Oréal Paris brands, which have grown 33% faster than the category. The Elseve brand expanded by 40%, while sales of the Fructis brand augmented by a category-leading 26%. In the first quarter of 2024 consumers can expect exciting, innovative new products: the Elseve brand will offer a solution to one of the most common hair problems in Hungary, oily roots and dry ends, with the new Hyaluron Pure range. In the premium segment the company will come out with the Elseve Glycolic Gloss line.

The demand for professional haircare products is constantly growing

Sustainability and new innovations

Natural ingredients and environmental protection are more and more important in hair care.

Yvette Krubl
corporate communicatons manager
Procter&Gamble

“Among the new generation of shampoos and conditioners, there has been a growing trend towards organic hair strengthening and conditioning products, being free from synthetic substances and having clinically proven effects”,

says Yvette Krubl, corporate communications manager for Central Europe at Procter & Gamble.

Procter & Gamble’s experience is that the natural, free-from trend also requires environmentally friendly, sustainable production and packaging. In 2024 Head&Shoulders is coming out with an improved formula to prevent dandruff even with daily use. The Pantene Miracles line is expanding with a new addition to the Bond Repair family, while the Aussie range will also become available in Auchan and Spar stores. //

The most attractive segment for new entrants is that of hair care

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