Deodorants in Sweden

PRE-COVID-19 PERFORMANCE

Deodorants remain staple products in 2019, sold across many retail channels

In Sweden, deodorants are everyday consumer goods, used by most of the Swedish population, with the only exception being those of very low income or recent arrivals from areas with differing consumption patterns. As a result, mass products dominate the market, and most fragrance styles are fairly bland and standardised.

Some innovation seen in premium deodorants and free-from packaging formats

With the mass category depending on large, standardised brand types such as Rexona or Nivea, combined with fairly conservative tastes among ordinary consumers, brand activity in the mass category remains fairly low. Innovation mostly consists of brand extensions and new packaging design, and mostly takes place among premium brands, which utilise influencers and online retail to push new types of deodorant and willing consumers to experiment with new product types, such as deodorant creams.

Organic products increasingly popular, particularly online

Ecological, organic and vegan product types are expected to continue gaining popularity, with retailers operating online leading the way, to be followed by more brand extensions among mass brands present in physical and non-specialist retailers. Although initially a part of product premiumisation, consumers are increasingly expecting organic and natural products as part of a standard, mass-market offering, blurring the distinction between mass and premium.

2020 AND BEYOND

COVID-19 impact

In 2020, sales of deodorants are now expected to decrease by 1% in 2019 constant value terms, in light of the impact of COVID-19. This compares with the 1% rise forecast for 2020 during research conducted at the end of 2019 before the spread of COVID-19.

Affected products within deodorants

Although decelerating, deodorant creams is set to post the best performance over 2020, mainly because it is an expensive category and its relatively small consumer base are the most resilient to the general loss in purchasing power caused by the economic impact of COVID-19. Deodorant sprays, already in decline over the review period, is set to post the steepest fall in volume demand as consumers continue to look for more natural products that are kinder to the environment as well as to one’s skin and senses.

Recovery and opportunities

Demand for the overall category is set to normalise over the remainder of the year as more people return to their workplaces and social occasions and gatherings gradually become more frequent. It is therefore likely that pre-COVID-19 sales dynamics for deodorants will be re-established in 2021.

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