Hair bonding category thrives.
NEW YORK -- The hair care category is awash in product introductions. Retailers are scurrying to find space for entries and tweaking merchandising strategies to edit duplication and make it easier to find products, especially those for textured hair.The hair care category posted 6% sales increases last year, and sales are on track to beat that in 2024, per Circana. Consumers are searching for products that regrow or retain hair and revive and style their strands.
Young and old consumers are worried about thinning tresses.
Several of the new options are inspired by bond builders such as Olaplex and K18, which are sold via specialty doors. The debuts help bring the thriving bond category to the masses.
L'Oreal's recent launch borrows from skin care to provide strengthening. Called Fructis Hair Filler, it helps repair hair bonds.
Another heritage brand, Dove, is also launching a bond repair formula to help with damaged hair. The Bond Strength range includes peptides--an ingredient known from skin care.
"We set out to create a new range of hair repair products that would not only visibly reverse the signs of extreme damage but cater to busy lifestyles by providing real results in a fraction of the time of our competitors," says Brian Kennedy, chief operating officer at Unilever North America Beauty and Wellbeing.
Hairitage, now sold in Walmart and CVS, has a new Damage Recover brand. The three-step regimen features biotin and castor oil to help restore, strengthen and protect dry, damaged hair, according to company founder Mindy McKnight.
Redken's entry also plays in the bonding space, but with a formula tweaked for curls. Its Acidic Bonding Curls collection helps restore natural curl patterns to help revive processed and damaged strands.
Demand for debuts for textured hair continues to rise--along with launches. An emerging brand in the category is Kiss Colors & Care, with an Edge Fixer Extreme and a Scalp Fixer Serum geared toward curly and coily hair textures.
Joining celebrities Tracee Ellis Ross and Taraji Henson in textured hair is Beyonce with the debut of her brand Cecred. Beyonce has the resume to create a hair brand, having grown up around her mom's salon.
The debut is called the Foundation Collection, and is centered on hair and scalp health and harnessing a pat ent-pending technology called Bioactive Keratin Ferment.
Innovations are not limited to shampoos and conditioners. Hair styler gels and mousse are on the rise--driven by TikTok-inspired hair styles.
Styling and mousse sales are up 7.7%, outpacing increases in shampoos and conditioners. The top two brands, Tresemme and Garnier, posted double-digit gains. Coming on strong is Not Your Mother's, sold at Ulta Beauty, Target and Walmart. Mielle continues to ride the sales wave of positive buzz around its ingredients, such as rosemary.
Hair color sales have been flat for the past few years, with the exception of products for men. Men, who are less likely to color their hair professionally, are buying more boxed products, with sales up 7.7% in mass market outlets, per Circana sales for 2023.
Just for Men, the OG men's hair color brand, remains the top-selling brand with a huge lead over competitors. However, KISS, Bigen and Pacinos all posted impressive dollar gains. KISS' Quick Cover for Men has hit a sweet spot for young shoppers, retailers say.
Good Dye Young, a brand with roots in the professional market, is branching out to retail. Founded by singer Hayley Williams of Paramore and her stylist colleague, it is available at Target and Ulta Beauty.
"Hair is one of the coolest and easiest tools that we have for self-expression. Our purpose is to create an all-inclusive culture that inspires creativity and empowers everyone's journey through self-discovery with a whole lot more fun so we can all dye happy," says Williams. It was also important that the semipermanent hair care products were hair healthy, vegan and cruelty free.
The lineup includes shampoo, conditioner, a hair lightening kit, primer, scalp scrub and semipermanent hair dye in vibrant colors, including Rock Lobster and Blue Ruin. Prices range from $16 for a hair color tool kit to $30 for a pre-wash scalp scrub.
The brand also introduced hair makeup that washes out after one use called One Night Only. Available in blue, pink and purple, One Night Only retails for $13.
Drug chains are going deeper into tools that deliver strong gross margins. Professional brands like Dyson grab headlines, but consumers' reviews rave about accessible brands like Revlon and Conair. To wit, Revlon's 1875 W Infrared Hair Dryer often wins best in class from magazine reviews. Remington's Digital Anti Static Ceramic Hair Straightener is an influencer favorite and sells for under $20.
Caption: Good Dye Young semipermanent hair colors include Blue Ruin and Ex-Girl.
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| Title Annotation: | BEAUTY CARE REPORT: HAIR |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Chain Drug Review |
| Article Type: | Industry overview |
| Geographic Code: | 1USA |
| Date: | Jun 10, 2024 |
| Words: | 790 |
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