Depilatories in Latvia

PRE-COVID-19 PERFORMANCE

Low overall sales and merely moderate growth are seen in depilatories in 2019

Depilatories in Latvia remains a rather stagnant category with no major opportunities for strong sales growth. Demand for these products has already reached saturation point, with stagnant population growth due to high levels of emigration among young adults ensuring that the consumer base for these products continues to contract.

Demand for hair removers/bleaches and women’s pre-shave continues to fall

2019 saw volume sales decline in both hair removers/bleaches and women’s pre-shave as consumers continued to focus their spending on depilatories on women’s razors and blades. The stagnation that is being seen in hair removers/bleaches and women’s pre-shave is linked to two major factors.

Major international names continue to dominate sales of depilatories

Sales of depilatories are dominated by three major international players: Procter & Gamble, Société Bic and Reckitt Benckiser. Procter & Gamble is the outright category leader due to its very strong position in women’s razors and blades with the Gillette Venus and Gillette Satin Care ranges of system razors and blades.

2020 AND BEYOND

COVID-19 impact

Sales of depilatories are now expected to decline by 4% in 2020 in 2019 constant value terms in light of the impact of COVID-19. This compares to the expected marginally negative growth forecast for 2020 during research conducted at the end of 2019 before the spread of COVID-19.

Affected products within depilatories

With hair removers/bleaches and women’s pre-shave seen as less essential products than women’s razors and blades, these two categories are likely to have been more negatively impacted by COVID-19. The essential status of women’s razors and blades for huge numbers of consumers meanwhile is likely to ensure that demand has remained relatively stable despite the lockdown situation making depilation a less urgent concern for many women at a time when household incomes are coming under pressure due to the interruption of business activity in Latvia during the first half of 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recovery and opportunities

With demand for depilatories already mature, and with the category having remained very stable for several years, no major changes are expected to be seen during the forecast period. Demand is set to remain centred on women’s razors and blades, with hair removers/bleaches and women’s pre-shave likely to remain minor categories as consumers prefer to use cheaper alternatives to women’s pre-shave such as body wash/shower gel or general purpose body care.

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