Color, natural items drive ethnic hair care sales
Author/s: Barbara White-Sax
Natural products and color continue to drive the ethnic hair care category. Ethnic hair care, which makes up nearly 75 percent of the overall ethnic HBA category, has remained flat because of a drop-off in relaxer sales and the continued popularity of more natural hairstyles that require fewer products to produce and maintain. Dollar sales for African-American hair care products totaled $252.8 million across all three outlets, according to Information Resources Inc., a decrease of 1.7 percent over last year. Dollar sales in drug were down a full 5 percent.
Lisa Brown, director of business development at Carson Products, said that two factors have contributed to sluggish relaxer sales--more natural hairstyles and a strong economy. "Some consumers are taking a break from using relaxers because they are wearing more natural styles, while others have more disposable income and are doing it at a salon," she said. "We don't believe we have lost those consumers completely, but we can't depend on that segment right now for growth."
The category got a boost from sales of natural products and hair color, which continue to be strong segments. With more than 23 percent of African-American women wearing their hair in natural hairstyles, the natural hairstyle segment, while still trailing relaxers, has become the second-largest product group. Carson's Dark and Lovely Naturally line, which is shipping to stores now, is just one line attempting to create a significant niche within this subcategory of styling products.
Revlon's A.P Products African Pride All Ways Natural line is also a player in the subcategory; the line boasts hair dressings and conditioners made with natural Indian hemp.
Oil sheens and hair glosses continue to grow. "That segment was up 9 percent in units and 7 percent in dollars last year," said Patricia Bailey, vice president of marketing for Pro Line.
New introductions in styling and maintenance fueled growth. "New products represent the foundation for growth. They stimulate the category and ignite consumer interest. It also rejuvenates retailer interest in the category and its importance in their overall HBA performance," said Bailey.
One key new introduction was Soft Sheen Products' Breakthru, a four-SKU line of hair care maintenance products that uses ceramide technology to combat hair breakage--a leading hair concern among African-American women.
Hair color continued to be a hot segment within the category. In drug stores, hair color dollar sales jumped 17 percent. Supermarkets saw the biggest gain in hair color dollar sales, with an increase of 25 percent.
Last year's introductions (Revlon's African Pride HiLights) and restages (Dark and Lovely's Hair Colour) have added fuel to the category. Carson has added celebrity faces to its packaging--a move that has created excitement among consumers.
Perhaps the biggest news in the category is its continued consolidation--Alberto-Culver supplemented its TCB brand with the purchase of Pro-Line, marketers of the Just for Me and Soft & Beautiful brands, in March. L'Oreal is completing its purchase of Carson--marketers of the Dark and Lovely, Gentle Treatment and Ultra Sheen brands--two years after purchasing Soft Sheen, another key player in the category.
Boosters say that the acquisition of smaller companies by more dominant players brings increased visibility and marketing power to the category--not to mention the research and development dollars needed to keep a steady flow of significant new introductions to market.
"The category saw more new products this past year than any other year before," said Carson's Brown. "While their failure rate is still high--at about 65 percent--it's important to have new products creating excitement."
