Magazine: Hair care is a highly innovative category

Retail sales of hair care products are highly concentrated – reports the Nielsen Retail Index. Value sales of the category in total worsened in retail in the January-June period. Manufacturer brands are in a rather favourable position: 83 percent was their average in the 60 household chemical and cosmetics categories measured by Nielsen, but among hair care products it was stable at 94 percent. An important characteristic of the category is that it is very innovative, manufacturers keep introducing increasingly special product innovations. The annual shampoo market values at HUF 11 billion and contracted by 3 percent in value and by 5 percent in volume. Annual hair dye sales amount to HUF 7 billion: value sales expanded by 1 percent but volume sales were down 2. Hair spray and hair conditioner both sell at HUF 2.5 billion per annum; hair styling products generate sales above HUF 2 billion. Sales dropped in each of the last three categories mentioned above.