Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Slow market growth expected to continue
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- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of soap, bath, and shower products, at current prices, 2010-20
- Consumers trade in bar soap for liquid options
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- Figure 2: Percentage of households using bar soap, body wash, and liquid hand soap, April 2010-June 2015
- Brands impacted by ingredient controversy
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- Figure 3: Awareness of ingredients, November 2015
- The opportunities
- Encourage consumers to trade up for premium products
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- Figure 4: Correspondence analysis – Product benefits, November 2015
- Improve perceptions around bar soaps
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- Figure 5: Attitudes toward bar soap – Agree responses, November 2015
- While a niche market, product innovations present opportunity
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- Figure 6: Interest in select product innovations, by gender and 25-34 and 65+ age groups, November 2015
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Slow market growth expected to continue
- Liquid body wash drives sales, but small bath product segment growing
- Market impacted by in-shower moisturizers, ingredient concerns
- Growing population of women boosts market, declines in families temper growth
Market Size and Forecast
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- Slow market growth expected to continue
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- Figure 7: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of soap, bath, and shower products, at current prices, 2010-20
- Figure 8: Total US sales and forecast of soap, bath, and shower products, at current prices, 2010-20
Market Breakdown
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- Bath products segment small, but growing
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- Figure 9: Share of soap, bath, and shower products sales, by segment, 2015 (est)
- Figure 10: Percentage change in sales of soap, bath, and shower products, by segment, 2014-15 (est)
Market Perspective
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- Gender-specific vs unisex a key purchase influencer
- Shower products, liquid soaps dominate new product launches
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- Figure 11: Share of soap, bath, and shower product launches, by category, 2015*
- Competition between body care and shower products heats up
- Controversies over ingredients continue to impact brands
Market Factors
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- Despite growing overall population, older adults may temper market growth
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- Figure 12: US population, by age, 2010, 2015, and 2020
- Increases in female population bode well for liquid products
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- Figure 13: Female population by age, 2010, 2015, and 2020
- Bar soap, bath products benefit from growing population of Black, Hispanic adults
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- Figure 14: US population by race and Hispanic origin, 2010, 2015, and 2020
- Declining percentage of homes with children challenge market
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- Figure 15: US households, by presence of own children, 2005-15
- Stabilizing incomes can boost sales of premium products
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- Figure 16: Median household income, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2004-14
- Unpredictable flu epidemics add confusion to hand sanitizer sales forecasts
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Unilever dominates market, competition between others remains intense
- Premium offerings and benefits reign over value positioning
- Basic options struggle as consumers seek added benefits
- Health and wellness claims, luxury offerings elevate category
Manufacturer Sales of Soap, Bath, and Shower Products
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- Competition between leading companies remains strong
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- Figure 17: Manufacturer sales of soap, bath, and shower products, 2014-15
What’s Working?
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- Beauty brands, premium benefits reach women in body wash segment
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- Figure 18: MULO sales of select liquid body wash products, rolling 52-weeks ending Nov. 1, 2015
- Moisturizing, gentle body wash products also experience success
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- Figure 19: MULO sales of select moisturizing liquid body wash products, rolling 52-weeks ending Nov. 1, 2015
- Natural, environmentally friendly claims elevate liquid hand soaps
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- Figure 20: MULO sales of select natural/environmentally friendly liquid hand soap products, rolling 52-weeks ending Nov. 1, 2015
- Aromatherapy bath products help consumers de-stress
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- Figure 21: MULO sales of select therapeutic bath products, rolling 52-weeks ending Nov. 1, 2015
- Men and children seek products of their own
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- Figure 22: MULO sales of select men’s and children’s liquid body washes, rolling 52-weeks ending Nov. 1, 2015
What’s Struggling?
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- Private label struggles to compete with branded options
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- Figure 23: MULO sales of private label, by segment, 2014-15
- Bar soap sales lag as consumers turn to premium products
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- Figure 24: MULO sales of select bar soaps, 2012-15
What’s Next?
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- Body care expands to the shower
- Alternative formats shake up market
- Liquid hand soaps, bar soaps take a more decorative approach
- Premium benefits expand, health and wellness claims enter the shower
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- A preference for showering lowers bath product usage
- Younger women, parents drive product usage
- Different benefits sought for different products
- Premium offerings may be the key to bar soap segment growth
- Barriers to use exist for in-shower moisturizers
- Product innovations could reach women, multicultural adults
- Consumers rely on familiar ingredients amidst confusion, controversy
Bath and Shower Routines
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- Preference for showering lowers bath product usage
- Multitasking can boost market growth
- Kids use products of their own
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- Figure 25: Bath and shower routines, November 2015
- Men multitask with products, slowing market growth
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- Figure 26: Bath and shower routines, by gender, November 2015
- Older adults take a more functional approach to showering
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- Figure 27: Bath and shower routines, by 25-34 and 65+ age groups, November 2015
- Hispanics change products based on season, time of day
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- Figure 28: Bath and shower routines, by race and Hispanic origin, November 2015
Product Usage
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- Adults trade in bar soap for liquid options
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- Figure 29: Percentage of households using bar soap, body wash, and liquid hand soap, April 2010-June 2015
- Women use liquid products, men stick with bar soap
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- Figure 30: Product usage, by gender, November 2015
- Younger adults, parents rely on variety of items
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- Figure 31: Product usage of select soap, bath, and shower products, by age groups 25-34 and 65+ and parental status, November 2015
- Multicultural consumers highly engaged in market
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- Figure 32: Product usage, by race and Hispanic origin, November 2015
Product Benefits
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- Consumers seek different benefits for different products
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- Figure 33: Correspondence analysis – Product benefits, November 2015
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- Figure 34: Product benefits, by product type, November 2015
- Men and women drawn to different claims
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- Figure 35: Product benefits – Body wash, by gender, November 2015
- Added benefits sought by younger consumers
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- Figure 36: Product benefits – Body wash, 25-34 and 65+ age groups, November 2015
- Black adults report higher interest in variety of benefits
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- Figure 37: Product benefits – Body wash, by Hispanic, Black and Asian or Pacific Islander adults, November 2015
Attitudes toward Bar Soap
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- Premium offerings may be the key to bar soap segment growth
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- Figure 38: Attitudes toward bar soap – Agree, November 2015
- Adults 25-34, Hispanics more likely to form an opinion on bar soaps
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- Figure 39: Attitudes toward bar soap – Agree, by age and race/Hispanic origin, November 2015
Attitudes toward In-shower Moisturizer
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- Concerns over slippery showers challenge in-shower moisturizers
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- Figure 40: Attitudes toward in-shower moisturizers, November 2015
- Opportunities to reach 25-34s, Black adults with in-shower moisturizers
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- Figure 41: Attitudes toward in-shower moisturizers, by age and race/Hispanic origin, November 2015
Product Innovations
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- Interest in product innovations limited, but niche market exists
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- Figure 42: Interest in product innovations, November 2015
- Multipurpose products won’t necessarily temper market growth
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- Figure 43: Interest in multipurpose products– CHAID – Tree output, November 2015
- Women, adults aged 25-34 most open to new product offerings
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- Figure 44: Interest in select product innovations, by gender and 25-34 and 65+ age groups, November 2015
- Product innovations may help to reach multicultural consumers
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- Figure 45: Interest in select product innovations, by race/Hispanic origin, November 2015
Awareness of Ingredients
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- Consumers seek comfort in familiar ingredients
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- Figure 46: Awareness of ingredients, November 2015
- Parents, Hispanics most aware of ingredients
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- Figure 47: Have not heard of select ingredients, by race/Hispanic origin and parental status, November 2015
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – Market
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- Figure 48: Total US sales and forecast of soap, bath, and shower products market, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2010-20
- Figure 49: Share of top 10 soap, bath, and shower product claims, by segment, 2015*
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Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 50: MULO sales of bar soap, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
- Figure 51: MULO sales of liquid body wash, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
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- Figure 52: MULO sales of liquid hand soap, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
- Figure 53: MULO sales of bath products, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
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- Figure 54: MULO sales of hand sanitizers, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
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Appendix – Consumer
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- Figure 55: Percentage of households using select body wash brands, April 2010-June 2015
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- Figure 56: Percentage of households using select bar soap brands, April 2010-June 2015
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- Figure 57: Percentage of households using select liquid hand soap brands, April 2010-June 2015
- CHAID methodology
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- Figure 58: interest in soap, bath, and shower products – CHAID – Table output, November 2015
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