Sun Care in Japan

PRE-COVID-19 PERFORMANCE

Poor weather sees sun care companies shift their focus to ‘tone up’ products in 2019

Despite more consumers applying sun care on a daily basis, the category’s performance is still highly dependent on Japan’s weather conditions. Japan experienced a long rainy season in 2019 and fewer sunny days which had a negative impact on the performance of sun protection which registered a decline in current value terms, having seen healthy growth the previous year.

Ethical and ‘thermal powered’ products hit the shelves in 2019 as sun care becomes increasingly sophisticated

Ethical sun care is an emerging trend as some travel destinations which are popular among Japanese consumers such as Hawaii have introduced a ban on sun protection containing chemicals that are harmful to coral reefs (oxybenzone and octinoxate). The ban in Hawaii will come into effect January 2021 and the news has gradually been filtering through to Japan generating increased awareness among consumers about the potentially harmful ingredients in sun protection products.

Shiseido retains the lead but social media is influencing the competitive landscape

Shiseido continued to lead sun care in value terms in 2019, thanks largely to the strong presence of the company’s products and its powerful brand, Anessa. The company continues to invest heavily in research and development and marketing to ensure it stands out from the competition.

2020 AND BEYOND

COVID-19 impact

Sales of sun care 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 an expected 3% rise forecast for 2020 during research conducted at the end of 2019 before the spread of COVID-19.

Affected products within sun care

All areas of sun care are expected to see a poor performance in 2019 with consumers remaining at home and visitors unable to enter the country.

Recovery and opportunities

Sun care is expected to receive a significant boost to sales in 2021 providing the rearranged Tokyo Olympics go ahead as planned. The event will bring thousands of visitors and this should drive demand for sun care.

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