Although the oral care category continued to be in value decline in 2020, consumer interest in sustainability provides opportunities to revive growth; 25% of oral care buyers are interested in buying and willing to pay more for solid oral care products with no plastic packaging while 21% are interested in buying and willing to pay more for concentrated toothpaste/mouthwash that you dilute before use.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated value decline in 2020, with 12% of oral care users feeling less motivated to take care of their teeth/oral health. As consumers adapt to limited access to dental professionals during the pandemic, self-treatment trends will grow, presenting opportunities for brands to step up with expert advice via virtual consultations and innovation in specialist products.

A threat to the category is the continued disengagement from the toothbrush segment. As more consumers switch to using electric toothbrushes, lower replacement frequency of toothbrush heads has reduced spend in the segment.

Opportunities come in the increased focus on emotional wellbeing, which presents opportunities for brands to position oral care as a method of self-care. Growing interest in beauty-positioned oral care provides opportunities too, such as through beauty collaborations and innovation in lipstick/teeth-whitening duo formats as well as beauty ingredients (eg hyaluronic acid).

Key issues covered in this Report

  • The impact of COVID-19 on oral care and trends lasting after the pandemic.

  • The value of individual segments and brand performance in 2020.

  • Launch activity and opportunities for innovation in oral care in 2021.

  • Usage of oral care products and frequency of toothbrush replacement.

  • Retailers used for buying oral care products and the value of retail channels in 2020.

  • Interest in eco-friendly oral care and areas to drive growth.

COVID-19: Market context

The first COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the UK at the end of January 2020, with a small number of cases in February. Rapidly rising case numbers led to the first national lockdown, starting on 23 March. It wasn't until 15 June that non-essential stores were allowed to reopen, followed by pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers on 4 July and many beauty businesses on 13 July.

By September, it had become clear that the UK was at the start of a second wave, and social distancing measures were intensified. Continued increases in infection numbers led to Wales implementing a two-week national lockdown from 19 October, England announcing a month-long lockdown from 5 November and Scotland introducing a new five-level system of coronavirus restrictions.

Despite these restrictions, however, case numbers continued to increase. All four UK nations tightened restrictions further in January 2021, effectively leading to a full UK-wide lockdown.

On 22 February, Boris Johnson announced the roadmap to an easing of restrictions in England, starting with the reopening of schools on 8 March, followed by easing of restrictions on outdoor gatherings on 29 March and with a hoped end to all restrictions by 21 June, although the growth of the Delta variant means this final lifting of restrictions was delayed. The Welsh and Scottish governments also gave more details on their plans to ease restrictions, with both nations taking a slightly more cautious approach to the one planned for England.

Even before the full reopening of the economy, retail sales and Mintel’s own household finances tracker provided encouraging signs of a rapid return to consumer confidence and a willingness to spend at least some of the savings that many households were able to build up over the lockdown periods.

The UK’s vaccination programme started on 8 December 2020. As of 15 June nearly 80% of the UK population had received their first dose of the vaccine and more than 57% had received their second dose.

Economic and other assumptions

Mintel’s economic assumptions are based on the Office for Budget Responsibility’s central scenario included in its March 2021 Economic and Fiscal Outlook report, but also take into account predictions made by other economic forecasts, including the Bank of England.

After the fall of 9.9% over the course of 2020, the OBR’s scenario suggests that UK GDP will grow by 4% in 2021 and 7.3% in 2022. GDP isn’t expected to return to pre-COVID-19 levels until Q2 2022, although this is six months earlier than the OBR forecast in November 2020, mainly because of the faster-than-expected rollout of vaccines.

Unemployment is expected to peak at 6.5% in Q4 2021. As with GDP, this is more positive than the OBR’s November forecast, but the OBR does raise the prospect of long-term scarring on employment, especially in the more exposed retail and hospitality sectors.

The rapid vaccine rollout and the continued efficacy of the vaccine, however, mean that more recent economic forecasts have been significantly more optimistic than the OBR’s March forecast, even given the rise of the Delta variant. We have factored this rise in optimism into our market analysis and scenario forecasts.

Products covered in this Report

For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:

  • Toothbrushes – standard manual, electric (rechargeable), battery-powered (non-rechargeable), replacement toothbrush heads, travel brushes and combined toothbrush/tongue scrapers.

  • Toothpaste – including pastes, gels, polish and powder formats.

  • Mouthwash/rinse – primarily for the maintenance of dental and oral hygiene, includes medicated and non-medicated.

  • Denture products – cleaners and fixatives and cleaners for orthodontic appliances.

  • Dental accessories/ancillaries – includes cosmetic whitening products, eg gels, fresh breath dental chewing gum (ie Colgate Whitening Dental Gum) with product licences for the treatment and maintenance of oral hygiene, tongue scrapers, fresh breath strips and other breath fresheners, dental floss/tape, interdental sticks and brushes, disclosing tablets.

Excluded

Products used solely by the dental profession or products available only on prescription.

General-purpose antiseptic liquids, treatments for sore throats and products for the treatment of oral lesions, sores and mouth ulcers such as gums, pastilles and teething gels are not included in the market size data but are discussed within the scope of the Report.

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