Oral Care in the United Kingdom

PROSPECTS

Consumer awareness of oral hygiene drives sales of electric toothbrushes

In 2018, electric toothbrushes were amongst the key growth drivers of oral care. As dentists increasingly recommend electric over battery and manual toothbrushes for their health benefits, consumers are willing to invest more in electric toothbrushes.

White teeth translates as healthy teeth

The UK consumer’s search for brighter and whiter smiles continued in 2018. Despite NHS guidance on the risks of using of DIY home teeth-whitening sets/kits, the category saw fast growth over the year, with private label brands such as Superdrug even displaying innovation in this area.

Toothpaste hit by premiumisation

As consumers become more educated on oral care, they have a better understanding of what toothpaste properties are best for them and are willing to pay a higher price for it. Opportunity therefore remains strong for toothpaste with multifunctional benefits, particularly within whitening and enamel strengthening.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Fierce competition between big players remains strong

Oral care remains dominated by the top three players, Colgate-Palmolive, Procter & Gamble, and GlaxoSmithKline. P&G’s Oral-B brand performed well in 2018, whilst GlaxoSmithKline’s Sensodyne brand also performed well; it recently launched a limited edition of Pronamel Strong & Bright toothpaste in partnership with Breast Cancer Care.

Natural products gain popularity, but debate remains around efficacy

More natural and organic oral care brands are emerging on the UK scene, offering variants such as tea tree oil mouthwash, and coconut oil toothpaste. Besides Colgate’s range of Natural Extracts toothpaste, we are yet to see larger players shift into this growing space.

Retailing begins to show signs of channel shifts

Owing to similar patterns seen in cosmetics, online subscription services have made their way into oral health, with brands Ordo and Brushbox being the first of their kind to offer these types of services to British consumers. Health and beauty specialist retailers are also seeing a boost in sales from the rise of natural brands.

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