Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Category value declines as consumers streamline routines
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- Figure 1: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK value sales of oral care products (prepared 17 July 2020), 2015-25
- Impact of COVID-19 on oral care
- Minimal impact on value in 2020
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- Figure 2: Expected impact of COVID-19 on oral care, short, medium and long-term, 3 July 2020
- Dentist closures during lockdown will impact nation’s health
- Health and hygiene become bigger priorities
- Companies and brands
- Colgate dominates the toothpaste sector
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- Figure 3: Retail value sales of toothpaste, by brand, April 2020
- Toothbrush brands see value decline
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- Figure 4: Retail value sales of toothbrushes, by brand, April 2020
- Corsodyl fights off own-label competition in the mouthwash segment
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- Figure 5: Retail value sales of mouthwash, by brand, April 2020
- Niche dental accessory brands have appeal
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- Figure 6: Retail value sales of dental accessories, by brand, April 2020
- Own-label brands grow in denture products sector
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- Figure 7: Retail value sales of denture products, by brand, April 2020
- The consumer
- Usage of electric toothbrushes catches up with manual versions in 2020
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- Figure 8: Usage of toothbrushes in the last three months, May 2020
- Usage of mouthwash rises in 2020
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- Figure 9: Usage of other oral care products in the last three months, May 2020
- High interest in eco-friendly formulas
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- Figure 10: Interest in oral care product innovations, May 2020
- Natural ingredients in oral care products appeal
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- Figure 11: Interest in oral care ingredients, May 2020
- Poor dental hygiene seen to have a big impact on appearance of teeth
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- Figure 12: Ranking of factors negatively impacting the appearance of teeth, May 2020
- Oral care habits are more important than the quality of products used
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- Figure 13: Ranking of habits which positively impact the appearance of teeth, May 2020
- In-store plays a critical role in the purchase journey
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- Figure 14: Trial and purchase of oral care products, May 2020
- Price is the leading driver of oral care decisions
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- Figure 15: Purchase drivers for oral care products, May 2020
- What we think
The Impact of COVID-19 on Oral Care
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- The market
- Oral care value will see little impact in 2020
- Bricks-and-mortar retailers will continue to attract majority of sales
- Lockdown snacking could worsen oral health
- The consumer
- Focus on at-home oral care could encourage spend
- Align with the shift to healthy lifestyles
- Provide a solution to rising stress and anxiety levels
- Bring forward the science behind the data
- Brands and companies
- Position oral care as self-care
- Brands step in as experts to offer online advice and check-ups
Issues and Insights
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- Align oral care with the interest in overall health following the COVID-19 outbreak
- The facts
- The implications
- Blurring the lines between oral care and beauty
- The facts
- The implications
- Offer ingredient transparency to address safety concerns
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Category value falls in 2019
- Discounting drives decline in toothbrushes value
- Dental accessories show growth
- Online becomes more popular for oral care purchases
- Consumers seek out fast-working whitening solutions
- The eco-trend presents opportunities
Market Size and Forecast
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- The oral care category sees little impact from COVID-19
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- Figure 16: Expected impact of COVID-19 on oral care, short, medium and long-term, 3 July 2020
- Short-term
- Medium-term
- Long-term
- Category value declines in 2019
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- Figure 17: UK retail value sales of oral care products, 2015-25
- COVID-19 presents minor disruptions to oral care
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- Figure 18: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK value sales of oral care products, 2015-25
- Own-label will make its mark in a recession
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- Figure 19: UK retail value sales of oral care, 2007-17
Market Segmentation
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- Discounts and special offers drive down value of toothbrushes/toothpaste
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- Figure 20: UK retail value sales of oral care products, by segment, 2018-19
- Mouthwash needs to build relevance to grow
- Dental accessories show growth supported by niche brands
Channels to Market
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- Supermarkets remain the top outlet…
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- Figure 21: UK retail value sales of oral care products, by outlet type, 2018-19
- …but purchase is shifting elsewhere
Market Drivers
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- The UK’s ageing population provides opportunities
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- Figure 22: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2014-24
- Children’s oral health worsens
- Decline in smokers could shift interest from breath freshening
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- Figure 23: Proportion of UK population who were current smokers, 2011-18
- Illegal teeth whitening reflects demand for quick-fix solutions
- Sustainability concerns are growing
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- Figure 24: Change in eco-friendly BPC purchasing, November 2019
- Healthy eating habits impact oral health…
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- Figure 25: How often people try to eat healthily, 2017-19
- …but COVID-19 pandemic triggers snacking habits
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Sales dip for top toothbrush brands
- Corsodyl benefits from preventative focus
- NPD rises driven by the toothpaste segment
- Blurring oral care with beauty
- Sensodyne and Colgate align oral care with health and fitness routines
- Colgate enjoys high levels of trust
Market Share
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- Colgate dominates the toothpaste sector
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- Figure 26: Retail value sales of toothpaste, by brand, years ending April 2019 and April 2020
- Sensodyne benefits from perceived expertise
- Brands face sharp decline in toothbrush sector
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- Figure 27: Retail value sales of toothbrushes, by brand, years ending April 2019 and April 2020
- Corsodyl’s preventative approach appeals
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- Figure 28: Retail value sales of mouthwash, by brand, years ending April 2019 and April 2020
- Niche dental accessory brands align with beauty and eco-trends
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- Figure 29: Retail value sales of dental accessories, by brand, years ending April 2019 and April 2020
- Own-label brands fare well in denture products
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- Figure 30: Retail value sales of denture products, by brand, years ending April 2019 and April 2020
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Toothpaste sees clean and sustainable launches
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- Figure 31: New product launches in the oral care market, by product segment, January 2017-May 2020
- Figure 32: Examples of environmentally-friendly toothpaste packaging launches, 2019 and 2020
- Electric toothbrushes become more sophisticated
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- Figure 33: P&G’s Oral-B iO smart toothbrush, January 2020
- Brands tap into emotional wellbeing
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- Figure 34: New product launches in the oral care market, by launch type, January 2017-May 2020
- Figure 35: Examples of new products promoting wellbeing in toothpaste segment, 2019
- Sensory experiences can capture interest
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- Figure 36: Examples of product launches with sensorial elements, 2019
- Brands offer more specialised solutions
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- Figure 37: New product launches in the oral care market, by top ultimate companies, 2019
- Figure 38: Examples of Colgate, Oral-B and Sensodyne specialised oral care launches, 2019 and 2020
- Corsodyl provides complete oral care solution
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- Figure 39: Examples of Corsodyl complete protection oral care products, 2019
- Own-label toothpastes highlight efficacy
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- Figure 40: Examples of own-label launches in oral care market, 2019 and 2020
- Oral care blurs with beauty
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- Figure 41: Top 10 claims in the oral care market, 2018-19
- Figure 42: Examples of product launches in oral care market with a beauty positioning, 2020
- Potential for promoting glass/metal bottle for refillability
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- Figure 43: Examples of environmentally-friendly packaging in mouthwash segment, 2019
- Eco-friendly down to the product level
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- Figure 44: Environmentally-friendly product claims in the oral care market, 2019 and 2020
- The rise of natural ingredients in oral care
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- Figure 45: Examples of oral care product innovations with natural claims, 2019 and 2020
- Capitalise on interest in probiotics and the oral microbiome
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- Figure 46: Ecodenta probiotic toothpaste, 2020
- On-the-go claims may fall due to COVID-19 hygiene concerns
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- Figure 47: Examples of oral care products launched with on the go/time/speed claims, 2019 and 2020
- Specialised day/night products offer areas for innovation
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- Figure 48: Examples of oral care product innovation specialised for day/night time, 2019
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- TV remains most popular advertising medium
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- Figure 49: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on oral care products, by media type, 2017-19
- Brands step in as the experts following COVID-19
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- Figure 50: Oral-B offers virtual dental check-ins via their Instagram account, 2020
- Toothpaste dominates oral care advertising
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- Figure 51: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on oral care products, by product type, 2019
- Figure 52: GSK Sensodyne advertisement for pronamel toothpaste, 2019
- Mouthwash brands push for relevance
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- Figure 53: Listerine ‘Complete the Clean’ TV advertisement, 2020
- P&G leads advertising spend
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- Figure 54: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on oral care products, by top ultimate companies, 2019
- Figure 55: P&G Oral-B London pop-up event for the Genius X with Artificial Intelligence, 2019
- Colgate and Sensodyne target the health-focused
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- Figure 56: Colgate Get Mouth-Fit advertising campaign, 2019
- Colgate sets out to empower
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- Figure 57: Colgate #PoutFree x Richard Quinn at London Fashion Week campaign, 2020
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Brand Research
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- Brand map
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- Figure 58: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, June 2020
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 59: Key metrics for selected brands, June 2020
- Brand attitudes: Colgate offers good value
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- Figure 60: Attitudes, by brand, June 2020
- Brand personality: Oral-B and Listerine perceived as accessible
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- Figure 61: Brand personality – macro image, June 2020
- Corsodyl is seen as an expert brand
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- Figure 62: Brand personality – micro image, June 2020
- Brand analysis
- Oral-B is considered worth paying more for
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- Figure 63: User profile of Oral-B, June 2020
- Colgate enjoys highest levels of trust
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- Figure 64: User profile of Colgate, June 2020
- Listerine is seen as effective
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- Figure 65: User profile of Listerine, June 2020
- Corsodyl benefits from differentiation
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- Figure 66: User profile of Corsodyl, June 2020
- TePe is a trusted brand
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- Figure 67: User profile of TePe, June 2020
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Consumers pay attention to oral care during the pandemic
- The eco-trend is growing, down to product formula
- Opportunities for natural ingredients in oral care
- Oral care can tap into beauty trends
- Reach out to consumers online and via social media
- Keep focus on product quality in a recession
Impact of COVID-19 on the Oral Care Consumer
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- Consumers stockpiled essentials in the initial weeks
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- Figure 68: Extremely worried about exposure to COVID-19/coronavirus, 28 February-9 July 2020
- Purchase of oral care sees temporary shift to online
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- Figure 69: Changes in shopping habits since the COVID-19 outbreak, 2-9 July 2020
- Greater emphasis on oral health with limited access to dental care
- Healthy habits become a bigger priority following COVID-19
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- Figure 70: Changes in priorities since the outbreak of COVID-19, 7-14 May 2020
- Hygiene remains a top concern
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- Figure 71: Behaviours relating to grocery shopping and product packaging, 18-24 June 2020
- Consumers turn to products to promote mental wellbeing
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- Figure 72: Reasons for doing certain beauty and personal care activities more often as a result of the COVID-19/coronavirus outbreak, May 2020
- Interest in own-label will rise in a recession
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- Figure 73: Changes in financial situation since the outbreak of COVID-19, 2-9 July 2020
Usage of Oral Care Products
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- Electric toothbrushes catch up with manual versions in 2020
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- Figure 74: Usage of toothbrushes in the last three months, 2018- 20
- Flossing risks being seen as non-essential
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- Figure 75: Usage of other oral care products in the last three months, 2018-20
- Increase in usage of mouthwash in 2020
- Usage of whitening kits remains low despite interest in whitening
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- Figure 76: CHRŌM glitter toothpolish Instagram post, 2020
Interest in Oral Care Products
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- Strong interest in eco-friendly formulas
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- Figure 77: Interest in oral care product innovations, May 2020
- On-the-go innovation must focus on hygiene
- Diversify through specialised time-of-day products
- Sensorial elements can intrigue
Interest in Ingredients in Oral Care Products
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- Ingredient transparency appeals
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- Figure 78: Interest in oral care ingredients, May 2020
- Natural whitening ingredients capture highest interest
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- Figure 79: Interest in oral care ingredients, by age, May 2020
- COVID-19 will drive interest in immune health
- Tap into the niche but growing oral microbiome trend
Factors and Habits Impacting Appearance of Teeth
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- Smoking and poor dental hygiene are top concerns
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- Figure 80: Ranking of factors negatively impacting the appearance of teeth, May 2020
- Tooth staining and damage are equally concerning
- Teeth stain concerns could grow with high rates of coffee drinkers
- Life stage has an impact
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- Figure 81: Selected factors negatively impacting the appearance of teeth, by any rank, May 2019
- Oral care habits outrank products used
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- Figure 82: Ranking of habits which positively impact the appearance of teeth, May 2020
- Toothbrushes hold the greatest sway
- Stepping away from basic routines with flossing
Trial and Purchase of Oral Care Products
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- In-store discovery is essential
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- Figure 83: Trial and purchase of oral care products, May 2020
- Offer consumers more transparency on scientific claims
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- Figure 84: Trial and purchase of oral care products, May 2020
- Authentic reviews appeal to 16-24s
- COVID-19 shifts engagement online
Purchase Drivers for Oral Care Products
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- Price leads purchase drivers…
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- Figure 85: Purchase drivers for oral care products, May 2020
- …but quality closely follows
- Provide easy-to-use products for the over-55s…
- …and easy access to dental advice
- Greater interest in healthy formulas following COVID-19
- Tap into price/product and eco-concerns
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- Figure 86: Eco-friendly and ethical purchase drivers for oral care products, by age, May 2020
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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