Bath and Shower in Venezuela

PROSPECTS

Erratic price policies preclude companies from supplying bar soap

Bar soap is regarded as the most essential product in bath and shower and one of the most important in beauty and personal care. Price regulations imposed by the Venezuelan government in 2012 caused large supply losses because the ceilings set were not adjusted for more than two years, making its production unprofitable.

Bar soap is still Venezuelans’ first choice

By tradition Venezuelans bathe daily and even twice a day. They prefer bar soap instead of liquid formats, which are increasing in importance only because bar soap is scarce.

Scarcity leads to loss of brand loyalty

Massive shortages of all bath and shower categories have resulted in less segmentation and loss of consumer brand loyalty. Consumers purchase whatever products they can find on retailers’ shelves, with little attention paid to whether the product offers value-added benefits, such as moisturising, whitening, soothing or exfoliating.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

A private label leads in bath and shower in 2017

The private label Farmatodo, from the largest drugstore/parapharmacy chain in Venezuela, leads in bath and shower. Products under this private label like intimate wash, shower gel and liquid soap have been well received by the public, which considers them affordable and of good to superior quality, boosting its share in 2017.

No leading brand of bar soap can be pinned down in 2017

The marked absence of flagship brands of bar soap opened the door for artisanal brands in 2017. Unlike multinationals and large domestic groups, artisanal producers are not closely scrutinised by the government, thus are able to set prices according to their cost structures, in spite of the regulations.

Talcum powder and bath additives are marginal in 2017

Talcum powder lost share in bath and shower because the main users of general purpose talcum powder are elderly people; others regard it as an old-fashioned product. Farmatodo entered this category successfully after the largest multinationals exited in 2015.

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