What’s hot in the Hair Care category in NZ supermarkets? FMCG looks at consumer trends, NPD and best sellers.

The Unilever portfolio now includes Sunsilk, TRESemmé, VO5, Dove and Andrew Collinge, each with a differentiated brand proposition for the NZ market, across Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatments and Styling segments.

“Unilever is New Zealand’s leading Hair Care manufacturer with 35% value share*,” says Thuy Nguyen, category specialist – Hair Care.

Nguyen says: “YTD 15/04/12 Sunsilk is the #1 Hair Care brand in New Zealand**. “The category is becoming increasingly promotionally driven and Unilever is striving to drive growth through developing the market. Treatments are the only segment in growth and with continued product development in treatments, we can increase household penetration, as consumers demand innovation (household penetration currently sitting at just 9.9%***).”

Dove has launched treatments in a number of formats, ranging from leave-in masks to the new Dual-Phase Daily Treatment Conditioner. This unique formulation has a white stripe conditioner that seals cuticles to lock in nourishment and smooth frizz, whilst the gold stripe treats with advanced Nutri-Oils to deeply nourish and replenish essential nutrients, without the grease.

Nguyen says: “The launch of Sunsilk’s super premium range Keratinology has been a success, with a $1m rate card support plan, including TV and print advertorials in leading fashion magazines. Keratinology is designed to maintain the beauty of salon treated hair for longer.”

TRESemmé has recently been reformulated with new advanced technology, coinciding with sponsorship of Shortland Street and the second year as the official hair stylists of the New Zealand Fashion Festival.

“The new range of enriched shampoos and conditioners use a unique formula to lock in moisture and restore and replenish exactly where it’s needed most for chair-worthy hair,” says Nguyen.

* Aztec MAT 15/04/12
** Aztec YTD 15/04/12
*** Nielsen 26/02/12

ecostore

The new plant-based hair care formulation from ecostore is a breakthrough in healthy hair products without compromise. Its range of shampoos and conditioners are enhanced with nourishing emollients including sweet almond oil, olive oil, and shea butter, which help prevent tangles while providing natural conditioning and long lasting protection.

Melissa Fletcher, marketing director – Australasia, says: “Many hair care brands, including salon brands, use harsh and potentially irritating ingredients such as Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulphate (SLS and SLES), Cocoamidopropyl Betaine (CAPB), parabens, silicons and toxic petrochemicals that can strip the protective oils from the hair and make the hair shaft vulnerable to damage. For ecostore, if there is any doubt about an ingredient for people’s health or for the environment, even if it’s plant-based, it will find a safer alternative. ecostore understands how important it is to use a balanced formulation with good skin compatibility that will not strip out the naturally protective oils present in healthy skin and hair. The nourishing oils used in its hair care formulations are chosen for their gentle properties, with their composition being similar to the skin’s natural sebum. ecostore hair care leaves the hair soft, shiny and looking fantastic.”

Available in supermarkets nationwide and suitable for all types of hair, the range includes Normal, Dry Damaged or Coloured, Anti-dandruff and Gentle.

Among new product launches in the last 12 months are:

ecostore Normal Shampoo 220ml
ecostore Normal Conditioner 220ml
ecostore Dry, Damaged or Coloured Shampoo 220ml
ecostore Dry, Damaged or Coloured Conditioner 220ml
ecostore Anti-Dandruff Shampoo 220ml
ecostore Anti-Dandruff Conditioner 220ml
ecostore Gentle Shampoo 220ml
ecostore Gentle Conditioner 220ml.

L’Oréal

Shampoos and Conditioners in New Zealand is a category that has not seen significant volume growth over the last few years suggesting a saturated household penetration. Trading consumers up to higher quality premium brands is the key challenge as a driver for growth.

Marcus Thieme – group brand & category manager Hair Care says: “In 2011, L’Oréal has been the key driver of the market (L’Oréal: +22.2% dollar growth, vs +2.0% dollar growth of the haircare market), and is continuing this trend in 2012 to date (L’Oréal: +14.6% dollar growth, vs +0.8% dollar growth of the haircare market)*. This growth stems from L’Oréal’s strong portfolio offer of brands facilitating trading up of New Zealand consumers. Starting from the medium price range, Garnier Fructis offers a natural haircare proposition. L’Oréal Paris Elvive is a premium Haircare brand offering tailor-made technologies for every hair need. At the top end of the mass market L’Oréal launched Hair Expertise in 2011, a range with a sulphate-free formula.”

Hair treatments are an opportunity for further growth, adding products to the regime of consumers. Serums, conditioning masques and sprays are the most popular and best-selling products. Thieme says the upcoming trend for treatments is hair oils. Elvive launched “Extraordinary Oil” in May, a product designed for the mass market, contributing to the brand’s expertise as a premium quality haircare range.

He adds: “Two successful treatment launches in 2011 were the Fructis Sleek & Shine Serum, which is now the Top Selling treatment in NZ supermarkets, and the Elvive Total Repair 5 Instant Miracle, a conditioning treatment for damaged hair that takes the #5 position in the product rankings (Aztec: Value dollar sales, Total Key accounts in Grocery, six months to 22/04/2012).

L’Oréal is currently launching new ranges for all three brands. New Elvive Volume Collagen is designed for consumers with fine, flat hair. Its unique formula enriched with collagen gives hair more body and volume. Garnier Fructis adds a new range to its offering targeting consumers with the problem of oily roots and dry ends. Eversleek is the new range for HairExpertise designed to smoothen hair without the help of harsh sulfates.

*Aztec Value dollar sales, Total Key accounts (Grocery), 2011; 2012 to 22/04

Pantene

Leading hair care brand Pantene has launched a new range of products to coincide with Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) role as an official sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Each of the new Pantene variants is designed to restore hair health and protect all hair types – without that heavy weighed-down feeling.

The release of the Pantene products from P&G also follows findings that over half of women who used to use Pantene no longer do*, due to a negative product experience.

Pantene senior scientist Lais Koelle says that the new collections are a breakthrough for the brand and utilise advanced technology.

P&G spokesperson Lisa Cunningham explains: “Whether women have had a negative experience due to the previous heavy conditioning agents, or have been warned off by their hairdressers, we are now confident that we have found the sweet spot between high conditioning formulas that tackle the toughest hair issues but still feel lightweight on all hair types.”

The new products join the recently launched Pantene Aqua Light Collection, which was designed specifically for fine hair using the new gold standard formula. This product has alone managed to convert over 60 percent of women who previously disliked Pantene, or had fine hair, to come back to the brand^.

To complete the transformation, the new Pantene collections have also been re-packaged moving to new on-pack designs, gold lids and a pearlescent white bottle.

P&G’s portfolio of trusted, quality brands also includes Head & Shoulders and Wella.

* Galaxy survey conducted online in July 2011 among a representative sample of Australian females aged 18-64 years (610 respondents).
^ The Word of Mouth company survey conducted amongst 501 respondents who took part in a product trial.

Mix

“Dominate continues to be at the forefront of hairstyling category innovation with the launch of Dominate Out of Bed,” says Shane Young – co-founder of Mix.

He says: “Out of Bed is fast becoming the star of the ‘Premium Mass Styling Category.

“After only a few months on shelf, Out of Bed is already ranked 10th best selling SKU in Foodstuffs and 7th in Progressive (AZTEC $/store/week data to 6th May 2012),” explains Young. He adds: “Dominate Out of Bed is a super easy to use, dry look paste inspired by the best selling top end salon products and brought to supermarkets at prices that everyone can afford. The product is getting a huge above the line push this year with extensive sampling, radio promotions, magazine advertising, joint promotions and innovative social media promotions. Watch your sales Rise Up and Dominate with Out of Bed!”

Young says: “The Shockwaves hairstyling range has been extremely well received by customers with Shockwaves Extreme Gel becoming the #1 selling hairstyling product in Total Supermarkets (Aztec 4-weekly Units/store/week data to 6th May 2012).

“The support is seeing excellent traction from the latest additions to the range, Shockwaves Pump it Up Paste, Get A Grip Wax and Slam Jam Glue. The range targets consumers that are more value focussed and young guys first entering the styling market. Shockwaves is a complete offer at a great price,” he says.

Schwarzkopf

Simone Schuster – brand manager Schwarzkopf notes a number of consumer trends.

1. Increasing trend towards nourishment. Products based on oils and in particular argan oil are growing rapidly, hence Schwarzkopf launched the new Marrakesh range in Hair Care.

2. Convenience: This drives new application forms for ease of use and revolutionary formulas on the level of salon products. In answer to this, Schwarzkopf launched Perfect Mousse permanent hair colour, and within the recent Marrakesh launch, its first mousse treatment.

3. Products that offer high performance and protection, coupled with value for money mind-set are in demand. Extra Care Heidi’s Heat Style has been launched to respond to this movement.

4. Uniqueness factor: This persistent trend of thriving to look different and the creation of ‘my own style’ keeps the entire category up to speed for products that are as individual in their shape, colour, application and feel as one can be. Schwarzkopf launched the new Taft Full On Clay.

In New Zealand supermarkets, Schwarzkopf offering includes:

• Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner & Treatments): Schwarzkopf Extra Care
• Styling: Schwarzkopf Extra Care, Taft Full On
• Hair Colour: Schwarzkopf Brilliance, Perfect Mousse, Nordic Blonde, Men Perfect.

Among recent new product launches are:

April 2011 – Perfect Mousse Permanent Colour (10 shades)
May 2011 – Extra Care Ultimate Care & Styling Range
May 2011 – Taft Full On relaunch
February 2012 – Live Salon Permanent Hair Colour (14 shades).

Schuster says: “Perfect Mousse is now the No 1 Mousse Colourant in the NZ colourant market with 7.2% market share (Aztec Grocery Data MAT 06/05/12).

“Extra Care Ultimate Range is ranked as one of our top selling SKUs. The two treatment products are among the top 10 in New Zealand’s treatment market (Aztec Grocery Data MAT 06/05/12). Taft Full On grew by 15.9% since relaunch last year (Aztec Grocery Data MAT 06/05/12). Two months after launch of Live Salon this brand has already achieved a staggering 8.5% market share (Aztec Grocery Data last 4 wks 06/05/12).”

During May 2012, new launches included Taft Full On Clay; Extra Care Marrakesh Oil & Coconut Shampoo, Conditioner & Treatment, and also Extra Care Heidi’s Heat Styles Mousse & Heat Shield Spray.

McPherson Consumer

For over 80 years Lady Jayne has offered consumers a comprehensive range of quality brushes, combs, styling essentials and hair accessories, allowing you to create a different look everyday to suit your mood or occasion. Bobby pins, hair rollers, elastics, claw-grips and headbands are just a few of the products available within the Lady Jayne styling essentials and accessory range. A new fashion line has been introduced in the adult’s and children’s ranges along with the launch of all new Lady Jayne clip-in hair extensions.

Lady Jayne has offered women a variety of ways to update or complete their appearance for decades, with hair accessories that are fashionable, stylish, practical, glamorous and most importantly – affordable. Products that allow hair to look its very best whether at school, the gym, in the office or out of the town…items to contain it, tame it, or hold it, the answer is always Lady Jayne.

Lady Jayne has a commitment to excellence with products that are of exceptional quality and value for money. All products undergo a series of tests before being launched to the market and are backed by a 100% guarantee of complete satisfaction.

Wilson Consumer

Helena has had a packaging update. It rolled out to supermarkets late 2011 and early 2012, updating the overall design to streamline the logos on the gels and hairsprays and give the brand a slightly more modern look. “It wasn’t a complete overhaul however, as we didn’t want to alienate or confuse the loyal Helena consumers,” says Sara Williams, brand manager.

She adds: “The new packaging has been received well by the loyal users of Helena and has also attracted a ‘new user’ who would have previously dismissed the range. The hairsprays, in particular, with the black packaging and prominent logo allow it to stand out on shelf and gives it a slightly more premium look, with the same low price.

Consumers are becoming more price conscious when it comes to their hair care, and with the availability of more hair brands at a lower cost they are easily able to choose products for their needs at a very good price.

“Whilst wet look clear gels and Hairsprays will always be a number one seller, younger male consumers are trending towards more ‘natural looking’ hair styles as seen with music stars Justin Bieber and One Direction, for example. The trend towards turning away from the typical wet look gel towards matt waxes and pastes is becoming quite obvious.”

Neutrogena

A spokesperson for the brand told FMCG: “Neutrogena T/Gel Shampoo is uniquely formulated to have a pleasant fragrance; the rich lather helps treat itchy, flaky scalp, and leaves hair clean, soft and manageable. T/Gel is effective as a therapeutic treatment to help control the scalp itching and flaking, symptomatic of scalp psoriasis, eczema, seborrhoeic dermatitis and even common dandruff (RRP $14.99).”