Mass Beauty and Personal Care in Sweden

PRE-COVID-19 PERFORMANCE

Blurring of the lines as mass beauty and personal care approaches the quality of premium products in 2019, at a fraction of the cost

In 2019, mass category products increasingly exhibited aesthetic, design and usage attributes that were similar to those of premium-category products. It has become easier to rapidly develop and launch clean-looking, relatively cheap and effective products, bringing mass products closer to premium.

Much competition within mass beauty and personal care in 2019 as branded and private label players try to increase share

Both private-label mass brands, such as H&M, and other large market players, such as Procter & Gamble, are scrambling to meet the challenges posed by a rapidly changing consumer market. Mass players are increasingly focusing on building brand identity, messaging and various forms of non-standard marketing activities, resulting in a premiumisation of the existing, large market brands.

Retailers such as Beauty Bargain and Lyko innovate within mass beauty and personal care in 2019

There are also several new attempts to innovate the mass retail format, of which Beauty Bargain is the most serious contender. Launched by apparel retailer Åhléns as an attempt to explore new market possibilities, it is the first expressly mass-market beauty and personal care retailer launched in both physical and online formats, attempting to achieve low prices without compromising on aesthetics or quality.

2020 AND BEYOND

COVID-19 impact

Sales of mass beauty and personal care are expected to fall by 6% in 2020 in 2019 constant value terms, in light of the impact of COVID-19.

Affected products within mass beauty and personal care

Luxuries such as fragrances have been overlooked as purchasing power has fallen along with opportunities to use such items, while beauty-related items such as colour cosmetics have been side-lined given the higher number of people working from home and the large reductions in social activity. Meanwhile, the lack of travel and time spent outdoors renders sun care much less necessary.

Recovery and opportunities

With social distancing gradually easing over 2020, giving way to many people returning to their regular workplaces and to socialising, demand for aesthetic-orientated products will begin to normalise, helping overall sales to recover. However, it is likely to be 2021 before sales reflect this, with a return of demand to pre-COVID-19 levels dependent on the recovery in the economy and consumer purchasing power in 2021.

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