NEW DELHI : Stuck at home, Indians used less of hair gels, and colour cosmetics, instead buying shampoos, facial cleansers, and products they need to replicate salon-like experiences at home.
Companies are engaging with shoppers by putting out digital content that will help Indians to colour their hair and carry out their monthly beauty rituals at home, especially in places where salons remain out of bounds.
L'Oreal India said it is engaging with users online to help them colour hair at home.
In an interview with Mint, Kavita Angre, chief of consumer and marketing insights L'Oreal India said that products such as face-masks (like sheet masks), and moisturizers will see an uptick as consumers turn to introducing beauty routines at home, and seek skin care products to negate the excessive use of soaps and hand washes.
Angre added that makeup category usage reduced across the board as occasions of socializing dipped. She added skin care needs will intensify and people will pivot to more DIY kind of habits. “We see the focus likely to move to eyes, as wearing of masks becomes a big habit," consumer continued to buy products such as kajals, mascara during the lockdown," she said.
While sales of core personal care products such as shampoos, facial cleansers, and soaps continued, consumers stepped in to shops to also buy pedicure and manicure kits, and electric grooming products and shavers on the internet.
“Largely people want to buy basic shampoos, skin cleansing and some skin care (creams and moisturizers) products. Fragrances and cosmetics which are largely used while going out are not in urgent demand, barring eye-liners and basic lip-colours," said a retailer speaking on the condition of anonymity. Other products in demand are waxing strips, foot-creams, pedicure kits, he said.
"Whatever is not safe to be done outside they are doing it at home," he added.
In its March quarter earnings, packaged goods company Marico Ltd said its portfolio of value added hair oils was down 11% in volume terms. Its premium hair nourishment and male grooming brands also declined by 19% and 9% in volume terms respectively.
A survey released by the Boston Consulting Group said that Indian consumers are likely to reduce discretionary expenditure on categories such as cosmetics, makeup, and perfume over the next six months.
Consumers also logged online to buy grooming products to replicate salon-like experiences at home.
At Philips, demand for male and female grooming products such as electric shavers surged once restrictions on the lockdown were eased allowing shoppers to buy them either at stores or online.
"We have seen an increase in demand for both male and female grooming products. This demand is majorly driven by growing awareness about personal hygiene and these extraordinary times have only acted as a catalyst in bringing about this phenomenal shift," Gulbahar Taurani, vice president, personal health at Philips Indian Subcontinent. Taurani said the trend is here to stay and these products are set to be part of every household essentials going forward.
Earlier in May, Paytm Mall reported a 50% jump in sales of trimmers, epilators, face scrubbers as well as other personal grooming products from tier-II, tier-III cities.
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