Gender and race increasingly drive US hair care

In the second part of our look in on the latest market report from Mintel concerning the US shampoo and conditioner market, the research notes the distinctive difference in consumption patterns between men and women, while also noting the fast-growing ethnic hair care segment. There have always been distinct differences in the hair care consumer patterns between male and female, with women being 2.5 times more likely to use a conditioner, for example. However, with the market for men's grooming growing fast, the opportunities for new men's hair care products on the market are also multiplying. Mintel's profling suggests that the male consumer is still being neglected in the US market, with the vast majority of marketing messages being directed at females. However, the researchers have found that men gravitate towards the less feminine brands such as Suave and Head & Shoulders, indicating that it may only be a question of time before a more masculine brand is created or extended from another category to capture this segment. This suggestion is further evinced by the report highlighting that men currently use shampoo more often than women and also report specific conditioning needs that are separate from their female counterparts. Likewise the propensity for black and Hispanic populations in the US to buy and use more products is also reported to be capturing the imagination of marketers in the business. In 2006 Pantene introduced a line specifically designed for the frizzy hair problems associated with Hispanic hair, while also launching a line that targeted the problems of breakage with African-American hair types. According to Mintel, such introductions are likely to lead to more products on the market designed specifically for ethnic hair types and their particular hair issues, while additional possibilities may also exist for Asian hair types. However, looking at the wider picture, the highly developed nature of the shampoo and conditioner segment means that total US retail sales are expected to rise at an average annual rate of 2 per cent in current terms and decrease by 1.1 per cent in constant terms between 2006-2011. The bulk of this increase is expected to come from the conditioner market, which is forecast to rise 17 per cent in current terms over the five year period, whereas shampoo is expected to rise 6 per cent in current terms over the same period.