The hair care market - Italy

1.1 Definition and scope of study

Hair care products include all products that soothe, wash and care for the scalp. They include shampoos, conditioners, masks and oils, gels, lacquers, mousses or colorations. It is more globally part of the hair care market, which includes the category of hair accessories.

The hair care market is very competitive, and there is a constant effort in R&D to develop niche products or to reduce the environmental impact of the products created. Although the global industry is dominated by the United States, China is the second largest and its growth could lead the Asian region to become one of the major hair care markets. The rise of e-commerce, as well as a growing middle class, will fuel growth in this region in the coming years.

In Italy, the ultra-competitive sector has seen its market evolve over the past 10 years, whether in terms of value, volume or supply with the emergence of many new products. While the price war has decreased the average price of products by 8.5% between 2008 and 2017, the number of products sold is constantly increasing. At the same time, there is a growing demand for premium products. Large groups such as L'Oreal, Procter & Gamble and Unilever have the largest market share.

The Coronavirus crisis has strongly impacted the hair care market in Italy. First of all, the closure of hairdressing salons and retail stores has caused a drop in sales of various products, but on the other hand has largely contributed to the growth of e-commerce. The social isolation caused by the health crisis has also strongly changed consumer habits. While the pandemic has increased the amount of time people spend on personal care, new needs have emerged, such as the trend towards organic products which represent a growing share of the market. Finally, in order to contrast with the current hyper-specialization of products, hybrid products could emerge to reconcile care and style.