Beauty and personal care in the US demonstrated resilience in 2025, recording a current retail value increase of 3% to USD130 billion, despite slower growth as consumer sentiment became more cautious under persistent economic pressures and population growth remained modest. This environment remains highly attractive, as innovation in science-led solutions, wellness integration, and digital engagement continue to unlock growth opportunities. The most significant shifts are being shaped by surging

In 2025, the US retained its position as the world’s largest mass beauty and personal care market, achieving 3% current value growth to reach USD64.2 billion. Against a macroeconomic backdrop of 2% real GDP growth, 3% inflation, and a population of 341 million, consumers exercised caution regarding discretionary expenditure. This environment fostered price sensitivity and trading down. Although the mass segment grew at a slightly slower pace than premium options, companies successfully captured

Fragrances in the US demonstrated robust value growth of 7% in 2025 to reach USD16.4 billion, despite a challenging macroeconomic environment. This performance stands in contrast to the broader beauty space, where categories such as skin care and colour cosmetics saw slow growth as consumers traded down amid concerns about price inflation. While macroeconomic instability, including new tariffs and a 6-week government shutdown, weighed on consumer confidence and sustained high weekly spend on n

Hair care in the US demonstrated robust resilience, recording a 3% increase in retail value to reach USD19.3 billion. This growth occurred despite significant macroeconomic headwinds, including tariffs and a prolonged government shutdown. Consumers consistently showed a willingness to invest in premium products that promise demonstrable improvements in hair health, repair and longevity. This premiumisation trend was most pronounced within salon professional hair care, the largest value category,

In 2025, oral care in the US recorded a 3% increase in retail value sales to reach USD12.0 billion in 2025. This growth was supported by a steadily expanding population of 341 million and a median household disposable income of USD123,140. The market is demonstrating a decisive shift towards holistic health and prevention, moving away from reactive treatments. Legacy players are adapting to this trend by leveraging science-backed claims. For example, the Colgate Total Active Prevention System la

Colour cosmetics in the US experienced a significant deceleration in 2025, with retail value growing by just 1% to reach USD21.4 billion. This modest expansion followed a stronger recovery in 2024 and was largely driven by macroeconomic instability, including the introduction of new tariffs in April 2025. Although grocery inflation eased from its previous peak, the persistently high cost of essential goods constrained discretionary spending. Consequently, consumers limited their non-essential pu

In 2025, deodorants in the US demonstrated resilience amidst macroeconomic instability, achieving retail sales of USD6.8 billion, which represented a 6% increase from the previous year. Although value growth remained positive, the pace decelerated compared to the double-digit expansions recorded in 2022 and 2023. The market navigated significant economic headwinds, including new tariffs, a 6-week government shutdown, and persistent grocery inflation. Consequently, consumers became increasingly c

In 2025, skin care in the US achieved retail value sales of USD28.6 billion, representing growth of 2%. This performance took place amid ongoing macroeconomic instability, with new tariffs and persistent food price inflation prompting cautious and intentional consumer spending. Although the US population reached 341 million and median disposable household income stood at USD123,140, purchasing habits shifted towards value and efficacy. Consequently, consumers increasingly traded down from premiu

Depilatories in the US experienced minimal value growth in 2025, increasing to USD1.7 billion. This modest performance stands in stark contrast to previous years, with value growth now noticeably decelerating compared to the earlier post-pandemic recovery period, and is a reflection of intense competition, changing consumer preferences, and increasing price sensitivity among shoppers. The market environment in 2025 was characterised by highly promotional activity, with established names facing

In 2025, bath and shower in the US achieved 6% current value growth to reach USD13.3 billion, demonstrating resilience against a backdrop of declining consumer confidence and cautious discretionary spending. This steady performance was further supported by a growing consumer base, with the US population reaching 341 million during the year. Consequently, the category maintained its status as a personal care staple, benefiting from both volume and value gains as shoppers increasingly sought affor

In 2025, men's grooming in the US recorded a robust 4% increase in retail value, reaching USD13.3 billion. This performance was achieved despite significant macroeconomic headwinds, including new tariffs, a six-week government shutdown in the autumn, and cautious consumer spending driven by high costs for essentials such as food. With the national population reaching 341 million, the large consumer base supported market resilience. While volume growth remained modest, value expansion was propell

In 2025, sun care in the US posted 6% current value growth to reach USD4.2 billion. This performance reflected a stabilised market as inflation eased and players moderated their pricing strategies. Robust demand was underpinned by a growing consumer focus on daily sun safety and a proactive, science-led approach to skin health. This longevity trend positioned sun protection as a core pillar of preventive beauty rather than a seasonal purchase. Consequently, the proportion of US consumers applyin

Baby and child-specific products in the US recorded a 1% increase in retail value sales to reach USD4.0 billion in 2025. This modest growth occurred as inflationary pressures eased and unit prices fell, marking a period of market normalisation following previous volatility. Despite softening demand in other developed markets, the US benefited from a growing population that reached 341 million, ensuring a steady consumer base of new parents. Within the industry, baby wipes remained the largest ca

In 2025, premium beauty and personal care in the US delivered 4% value growth, outpacing the mass segment overall. This performance was shaped by several drivers, including robust demand for sun care, fragrances, hair care and deodorants, which all grew faster than the overall market. However, the growth trajectory was uneven, with premium skin care and premium colour cosmetics underperforming relative to other premium categories, the former even being surpassed by mass skin care for the first t

Consumer Types can be a powerful tool to help companies better understand and appeal to their target markets. By going beyond typical demographic-based segmentation, such as age or gender, and grouping consumers based on shared traits and preferences, companies can better develop products and marketing campaigns that resonate with key customers.

In 2025, vending in the US experienced robust high single-digit value growth, reaching USD6.9 billion, as it continued to evolve beyond its traditional roots. This expansion was largely propelled by innovation in refrigerated vending, which is enabling the introduction of fresh food, premade meals, and healthier options. These offerings resonate with wider health and wellness trends being observed across retail, positioning vending as a key player in the shift towards more convenient, low-contac

Direct selling in the US experienced another year of decline in 2025, marking the fourth consecutive annual drop. Total value fell to USD18.8 billion, down from USD21.1 billion in 2024, reflecting a contraction of 11%. This continued downward trend follows the historic highs reached during the pandemic, after which the channel has struggled to stabilise. Key factors behind this ongoing decline include the rapid growth of social commerce, which has drawn both consumers and sellers away from tradi

Appliances and electronics specialists in the US faced another challenging year in 2025, with retail value falling to USD69.9 billion, representing a decline of 2%. This continued lack of growth momentum reflects persistent weak volume sales, especially for major appliances, which are critical to driving footfall in stores. While small appliances recorded modest volume growth, most of this activity has shifted online, providing little benefit to physical retailers. The overall environment remain

Retail in the US in 2025 demonstrated resilience despite muted value growth of 2%, as persistent inflation and slowing GDP growth weighed on consumer sentiment. While this performance lagged behind the robust expansion observed in other high-growth economies, the US retail environment remained attractive due to its scale, diversity of channels, and rapid innovation in digital commerce. Success in this competitive landscape now hinges on the ability to adapt to accelerating shifts in purchasing b

In 2025, apparel and footwear specialists in the US achieved low-single-digit growth, with total sales reaching USD205.9 billion, reflecting a continuation of the modest upward trend seen in previous years. This performance occurred against a backdrop of significant disruption triggered by policy changes, most notably the imposition of new tariffs on imports ranging from 13% to 54%. These tariffs, announced in April 2025, affected a substantial share of the channel, as over 35% of apparel import

Discounters in the US delivered one of the strongest current value growth performances among the grocery retailer channels in the US in 2025, although the pace of growth moderated compared to the previous year. Discounters reached sales of USD42.3 billion in 2025, growing by 5% over 2024. This marked a slowdown from the 7% growth achieved in 2024, but it remained a robust figure in the context of the wider US grocery landscape, which was negatively influenced by factors such as the rising use of

Hypermarkets in the US saw flat value growth in current value terms in 2025, representing a slight decline from the previous year. This trend stands in contrast to earlier years of the review period, when the market saw stronger expansion, with this stagnation reflecting a cooling of momentum within the offline channel. The stagnation is closely tied to the performance of Walmart, which has seen more growth in its online channel than in its physical hypermarkets, signalling a broader shift in co

Supermarkets in the US saw current value growth of 2% in 2025, with the pace of growth slowing compared to the previous few years. This moderation in growth was driven primarily by consumer migration towards discounters and warehouse clubs, which are perceived as offering better value for money in grocery purchases. Despite this shift, supermarkets have maintained their position as the leading grocery format by share of total spend, largely due to their extensive outlet density across the US, al

Convenience retailers in the US saw flat growth in 2025, highlighting another subdued performance compared to the dynamism seen in the first two years of the review period. The broader regional context saw some growth in North America, but in the US, convenience retailers saw only a slight increase to USD177.5 billion. While forecourt retailers managed to post positive value growth of 1% to USD146.2 billion, this was not enough to counterbalance the ongoing decline in convenience stores, which