Baby and Child-Specific Products in Italy

PROSPECTS

Unfavourable birth rates continue to curb growth

In line with the review period, Italy is recording stagnation in the number of newborn babies, and according to the Italian National Institute of Statistics, 2018 saw an all-time low of births, with 449,000 births, 2% less compared to 2017. Baby and child-specific products was negatively impacted by the shrinking of their consumer base, since the frequency of use of has not shown any solid growth in Italy.

Growing interest in natural ingredients

Italians are increasingly attracted by beauty and personal care brands containing a higher percentage of natural ingredients. Although naturally positioned baby and child-specific products remain niche in Italy, they are attracting the interest of a growing number of parents that can afford their higher unit prices.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Multinationals maintain the lead

Multinationals such as Johnson & Johnson, Beiersdorf, L'Oréal, Unilever and Bayer continued to lead the competitive landscape of baby and child-specific products in 2018. Italian parents tend to opt for well-known brands and are quite brand loyal when purchasing products for their children.

Premium brands set to gain ground

Premium baby and child-specific products are expected to perform better than mass brands over the forecast period and to gain shares over mass brands overall. More parents with a single child in Italy are likely to be able to opt for naturally positioned brands, which are perceived as safer than standard alternatives and come with a higher price.

Naturally positioned brands in best position to benefit

This trend is expected to boost the performance of naturally positioned brands such as Mustela, which prioritises plant-based ingredients and whose formulations can reach up to 97% natural ingredients. In 2019, Mustela is set to benefit also from its Limited Edition launched in 2018, comprising a new baby and child-specific shampoo, bath foam and body moisturiser.

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