Body care in new colours

Looking at market research data only, we might get the impression that no big changes are taking place in the category of hand and body care products, although a number of successful innovations have appeared recently. One of the big successes of the recent period was the self-tanning body care lotion. The first product in this segment was Johnson’s Holiday Skin in three versions. Consumers welcomed the new product and as a result, new brands like Garnier and Dove appeared in the segment. Another promising segment is that of body firming, where the 4 top brands, Nivea, Dove, Garnier and Johnson’s are also present. – Johnson is giving special attention to the Holiday Skin product line in 2007 as well – says Katalin Hodossy from Johnson & Johnson Kft. In the hand care segment, our Neutrogena brand holds the second biggest market share – she adds. As a result of true innovations by manufacturers’ brands and the trust factor, private labels are not really successful. Their market share has not exceeded 12 per cent in recent years. – Products must meet very complex requirements and manufacturers’ brands also provide added value says Zoltán Kiss, managing director of Helia-D Kft. Helia-D is a well-known and trusted brand, but they also regard innovation as essential. The Helia-D Intenzív Body Care product line made its market debut in the autumn. The appearance of SCHLECKER in the market has had a dynamic effect – says József Gelsei from CosmoMix Kft., distributor of Fenjal. Overall sales in the category have not grown proportionately with the number of brands. The struggle for market positions has intensified, with the consumer benefiting from the process. Independent stores, especially in private housing estates represent a concentrated market in their micro-environment. There is less room for innovation in the hand care segment, as the number of consumers is smaller. The number of brands is quite limited, but there have been some new product introductions. Atrix, a “traditional” brand is the market leader, but it is losing customers to Neutrogena, which gets far more support. Intense Repair, a hand cream sold in smaller size packages, is a product for pharmacies. These are expensive, but a 50 millilitre hand cream is enough for 200 occasions. It is interesting to see that medium sizes, around 100 millilitre are the most popular lately, although in many categories of cosmetics medium sizes are losing ground. The directions for innovation are the same in the hand and the body care segments: natural active ingredients, skin and environment-friendly ingredients, traditional formulas. Brand messages are aimed at the sensitivity of the consumer, focusing on safety and natural skin care.