Bath and body

Drug Store News,  May 20, 2002  

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The themes of freshness and natural ingredients echo throughout the cleansing care categories of liquid soaps, deodorant soaps, non-deodorant bar soaps, bubble bath and fragranced bubble bath.

Many of the brands currently performing well in this segment deliver multiple benefits. In addition to the core benefit of cleansing, they also offer attractive fragrances. Sometimes the brands claim to deliver soothing, stress-reducing aromatherapeutic benefits or have moisturizing ingredients in their formulations.

Some of the newer launches are targeted to the high-potential children's market; others focus on the therapeutic benefits of fragrances, especially fruit, herb or flower-base d scents.

As is often the case in categories where consumers tend to think of the items they buy as commodities, innovation and advertising have been crucial to creating purchasing incentives. Several of the fastest-growing brands in the personal care category this year have brand positionings that evoke feelings of nostalgia and trust. Procter & Gamble, for example, has been exceptionally successful in positioning its Olay brand as caring and nurturing, while Johnson & Johnson has created a similar positioning for Neutrogena.

Neutrogena, like Olay, cuts across multiple beauty care product categories and has a number of loyal users that purchase the brand across the various categories.

Top 10 brands in drug

Brand/segment                    $ sales (*)  % change

Dove--non-deodorant bar           $29.5         -4.4%
Vaseline Intensive Care--lotion    28.8         -7.9
Nivea--lotion                      20.2         -9.9
Eucerin--lotion                    19.4         -3.8
Lubriderm--lotion                  17.4          1.9
Jergens--lotion                    14.3         12.9
Cetaphil-lotion                    12.9          0.1
Aveeno-lotion                      12.4         21.9
Curel--lotion                      11.1        -11.3
Clairol Herbal Essences-liquid     10.6          2.9
all other soap

(*)Sales in millions
Top 10 gainers in drug

Brand/segment                      $          %      $ (*)
                                 sales (*)  change  change

Olay Complete--
liquid all other soap             $9.6       152.5    $5.8
Softsoap Fruit Essentials--
liquid all other soap              6.5       138.8     3.8
Dove Nutrium-non--deodorant bar    3.2          NA     3.2
Aveeno--lotion                    12.4        21.9     2.2
Tone Island Mist--
non-deodorant bar soap             1.8          NA     1.8
Suave--deodorant bar soap          1.7          NA     1.7
Jergens--lotion                   14.3        12.9     1.6
Johnson's Kids Foam
Blaster--liquid hand soap          1.0          NA     1.0
Neutrogena Norwegian
Formula--lotion                    6.6        16.7     1.0
Soft Soap 2 in 1 Moisturizing--
liquid hand soap                   1.4       164.3     0.9

Source: Information Resources Inc. for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 30

(*)Sales in millions
Bath and body scorecard

                             Total F/D/M (*)            Drug stores
Category/                    $       % chg. vs.       $       % chg. vs
segment                  sales (**)   yr. ago     sales (**)   yr. ago

Hand and body lotion     $760.4         -0.8%    $332.0          -0.9%
Non-deodorant             489.4         -2.8       79.8          -2.5
 bar soap
Liquid all other soap     458.8          7.1      126.0           6.3
Deodorant-bar soap        457.7         -3.4       52.8          -4.3
Liquid hand soap          223.0         -1.8       33.6           1.9
Bath products             109.0         -8.5       39.5         -10.4
Scrubbers/massagers        53.4         15.8       18.5          12.7
Hand sanitizers             9.4        -30.5        3.3         -25.2
Heavy duty hand-cleaner     6.9         -3.6        0.2          -5.2

                             Drug chains only
Category/                     $       % chg. vs.
segment                   sales (**)   yr. ago

Hand and body lotion     $265.5          -0.6%
Non-deodorant              68.7          -1.3
 bar soap
Liquid all other soap     108.3           7.5
Deodorant-bar soap         46.9          -2.9
Liquid hand soap           29.3           3.8
Bath products              32.0          -9.7
Scrubbers/massagers        16.5          15.3
Hand sanitizers             2.9         -23.8
Heavy duty hand-cleaner     0.3          -5.5

Source: Information Resources Inc, for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 30

(*)Total F/D/M excludes Wal-Mart

(**)Sales in millions

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