Magazine: Green products target conscious shopper groups

In the drug and beauty product category, the values that small, alternative organic, eco and natural brands represent are now more and more adopted by the product lines and sub-brands of big, multinational companies.

Klára Nagy
sales and marketing
director
Presto Pilot

Klára Nagy, sales and marketing director of Presto Pilot told: some shoppers pay more attention to every aspect of their lives than before, and they want top-quality and eco-friendly products.

Rebeka Novák
brand & trade marketing
manager
Henkel Magyarország

Rebeka Novák, brand and trade marketing manager of Henkel added that the natural segment is special because very different consumer expectations must be met.

According to Nikolett Szőke, innovation brand manager of Unilever, factors such as no animal testing, natural product ingredients, eco-friendly packaging and ethical sourcing are important.

Nóra Tremmel, managing director of Brands and more Kft. added that many women start to buy these products when they become mothers, as they want to give the most natural things to their babies.

Last year Unilever rolled out the Seventh Generation range, which consists of greenwashing and cleaning products.

Tamás Zalányi
junior brand manager
Unilever Magyarország

Tamás Zalányi, junior brand manager of Unilever spoke to Trade magazin about the company offering a green product for cleaning every part of the flat. Unilever is expecting a sales growth for this year, as these products have managed to find their way to the shelves of the most important retail chains. Unilever thinks that the number of environmentally conscious consumers will grow in the long run. The engine of sales growth will be young consumers. Seventh Generation can be found on Facebook, in shops and in promotion campaigns.

Nóra Tremmel
managing director
brands and more

Brands and more Kft. markets eco laundry detergents and fabric softeners under the Green emotion brand name; these products are made with lavender oil and jasmine oil. The company also has a large selection of eco cleaning, dishwasher and washing-up products. Their latest innovation is the Septibio eco drain cleaner: this uses enzymes and bacteria to remove drain clogs and is already available in dm drugstores. Ms Tremmel called our attention to the importance of certification institutes, as shoppers trust certifications and they influence their product choices. The company reacted to the pandemic by introducing the Green Higiene disinfectant brand, which is made of alcohol and water only and kills viruses and bacteria.

Today there are chemical-free, natural drug products too. Presto Pilot distributes the eco product range Almawin, which is from Germany and offers a perfect alternative to consumers for cleaning and washing without chemicals and grease dissolvers. Almawin products are dermatologically tested and one of the most popular is Orange Oil. Powders and liquids are both available in the laundry detergent segment, and consumers with sensitive skin can use the Klar hypoallergenic product line. Recently the company has launched the new Almawin fruit and vegetable washing concentrate – this stands alone in the market. These days consumers pay more attention to hygiene, and Presto Pilot hopes that this trend will prevail in the long run.

The natural segment is in a special situation because the products therein have to meet very different consumer expectations

Facial care is the biggest category in the natural beauty care market. From a consumer perspective, Henkel differentiates between three categories in the natural product market. Number one is products enriched with natural components – the main players in the mass market, e.g. Fa Polynesia shower gel made with natural oils. Number two is free-from products – consumers with sensitive skin can choose from these. Henkel is present in this category with the Nature Box and Barnängen brands. Number three is certified products: in this category, the company rolled out N.A.E. products in March, which have the ECOCERT Cosmos Organic certification.

According to a GfK survey from 2018, the TOP 5 beauty product buying decision-making factors are the following: 1. skin-friendly, non-irritating, 2. exceptional quality, 3. not expensive, 4. free from chemicals, 5. smells nice. Women tend to focus more and more on naturalness and on product ingredients.

Nikolett Szőke
innovation brand manager
Unilever Magyarország

With this information in mind, Unilever developed the Dove Powered by Plants product line. These are minimum 98 percent natural products and combine 60 years of skincare experience with the natural power of plants. No less than 35 different plants are used in making them, and all of these have excellent skincare characteristics. The products earned the Cosmos Natural certification of ECOCERT Greenlife. This year Unilever also puts Neutral products on the market: these were developed in Denmark for consumers with sensitive skin or skin allergy. Neutral cleaning and beauty care products are characterised by a 0-percent proposition, they are free from artificial fragrances and colours. From the portfolio, Neutral Intimate wash gel is introduced to the Hungarian market.

All over Europe, a growing number of consumers are looking for eco, organic and natural product in shops. Bio Happy cosmetics are the perfect choice for those who want natural beauty products that are free from mineral oils and parabens, weren’t tested on animals and are hypoallergenic. Toothpaste, shower gel, body lotion, lip balm, hand and face cream are available, and the most popular product is Homeopathic Toothpaste, which is imported from Italy. All of the experts we interviewed talked to our magazine about how important environmental and sustainability aspects are for consumers, manufacturers and retailers alike. Typically more than 90 percent of the packaging material is recycled and recyclable plastic, and refills are popular. //