Haircare back in focus, sales soar post-lockdown says GfK

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Jul 21, 2021

No longer confined to their homes, post-lockdown consumers are back spending on haircare as they return to work and enjoy more social activities, according to a report by GfK Market Insights.

Volume sales of hairdryers and styling products have markedly risen compared to the same time last year, it said.

For hairdryers, sales volume is up 7.4% for year-to-date. In the same timeframe the cost of hairdryers has increased 21.7%, but this doesn’t seem to be deterring consumers. 

The number of sales made online has grown 30.7% for hairdryers and 8.5% for styling products, with consumers willing to pay a premium, such as buying products with ionic technology, noted Kelly Whitwick, UK Retail Lead for Market Insights, GfK. She also said supply shortages has seen prices rise over 20%. 

Looking at hair stylers, unit sales growth is 15.3% year-on-year, although prices have dropped 5.9% with Whitwick noting a falling price “underlines the importance of innovation in the small domestic appliance market.”

Haircare was a weak category for most of last year and into the start of 2021 as consumers, not allowed to socialise or go into work, also felt no need to do their hair quite as often as usual.