The Steady Rise Of The Male Grooming Niche
Looking for a niche that is set to be on a steady rise? If you are, then it’s time to take a good look at the growing upsurge in the demand for male dedicated care products in the grooming industry.
The appetite of women when it comes to grooming products is old news and the market is oversaturated with more products than even women know what to do with. The male grooming industry, on the other hand, is on a steady stir as there is so much more room to grow and an ever-increasing demand. Today, the overall body consciousness and the social expectation to look good is on the rise among men, contributing to market growth in men’s grooming products across the globe.
Gone are the days when male toiletries only included shaving products and deodorant on a single department store shelf. In recent years, there has been an increase in expenditure on male toiletries and an increase in demand for more male-specific care products, and you can expect a rise in the demand for skincare products, soaps, shampoo, conditioners, after-shower care for men to increase, as well as beard-care and shaving products.
The growth is not limited to department store shelves, but it has spread-if not originated-from the internet, as more male grooming blogs and websites are cropping up like mushrooms after a rainy day to disseminate information on men’s well-being, health, and grooming.
For the ecommerce entrepreneur, websites and online stores dedicated to men’s grooming products are also becoming popular as a direct result of the demand and lack of availability of such products. Men may not necessarily be getting what they want and need off of physical store shelves, so they are turning to online stores and to dedicated grooming blogs to get the self-care knowledge and the male-specific product that they require.
In this article, we are going to explore the advent and increase in the interest in male grooming, what contributed to the sudden rise, its fastest-growing categories, and where it may be headed to in the future.
What Contributed To These Developments?
Men’s attitude towards grooming products has been changing, and according to a , the male grooming industry is valued at US$60 Billion in 2019. The market value is set to reach an expected value of US$81.2 Billion by 2024, exhibiting an annual growth rate of 5% between 2019–2024.
So what exactly is driving this growth and the sudden change in the male outlook on grooming?
Men’s grooming is quickly expanding into the market, and millennial men are a major factor for much of the cultural shift. They are the key component and are easily the biggest influence on social expectations and on the market.
One thing that sets this generation apart from the previous ones is that they are digital natives, born into the era of the smartphone and the internet. We are now living in what is considered to be the golden age of information, and millennials are the first to fully adopt concepts behind online shopping, social network, and other lifestyle trends touted on popular social platforms.
And, as times change, the concepts of beauty and masculinity also tend to shift and transform. An increasing number of men are drawing more self-confidence in their appearance and are following more trends in order to look good. Just take a look at the sudden rise in the beard-care trend and industry, which has had shaving companies on the run for their money in the last few years. Today, we now seem to have more beard oil, balms, and dedicated beard shampoos than kinds of shaving implements on the market.
The cause of this rise is an increase in awareness among males on personal appearance and the increase in social expectations to always look good. Since we live in the golden age of information, people-especially the younger generation, are leaning towards self-care and grooming, as they now have more access to all the why’s and how-tos.
Men are no longer limiting themselves to Gillette shaving razors and Old Spice deodorants. The rise in interest in self-care for men can also be attributed to the role that social media and ecommerce plays in the lives of consumers. While the online market is still in its “budding” stage, it has the potential to reach exponential growth as it offers men more convenience and a large array of products to choose from than local department stores do at this point in time.
Fastest Growing Categories
While the shaving industry has taken a blow in recent times, due to the rise in popularity of growing a beard, some people may be surprised to know that the demand for men’s skincare products is also on the rise.
Comparing the average annual decline in men’s shaving products between the years 2012 and 2017, the annual average growth in men’s skincare products is up to during that very same time period. Granted, there is so much room for growth in the men’s skincare category, as men previously had to turn to women’s skincare products when the desire to take care of one’s skin arose.
Other grooming trends, especially within the millennial age bracket, include facial hair grooming trends, which show no sign of coming to an end any time soon. You’ll be able to note this from the current beard renaissance we appear to be living in, where beards, goatees, and sideburns appear to be what’s in at the moment. As a result in the growing interest in beards, a surge in the popularity of beard growing products is apparent, with more beard taming and growing products than most people can keep up with.
But this does not signal the death of the simplistic routine for men. Multi-purpose products will also have their place, as in the case of 2-in-1 products like the beard and body wash, or scalp and beard oil for men.
The rising awareness and consciousness of the overall body-care for men and the growing social trends and influence will be supporting this market into the foreseeable future. However, it’s important to note the increasing preference of consumers on products made from natural ingredients. These are likely to play a larger part in the men’s grooming products in the years to come, due to the growing discussion on environmentally friendly, ethical, and cruelty-free products and lifestyle practices, many more people are choosing to align themselves with brands that harbor these philosophies.
Now that people are armed with more information than ever before, more and more are leaning towards the safer, natural ingredients. People today are learning to turn away from harmful ingredients such as parabens, heavy metals, propylene glycol, and more.
The Future Of The Male Grooming Industry
We live in an age of information, where the younger generation is becoming increasingly interested in self-care, healthful practices, and grooming.
However, the rise in men’s care products may not be coming on fast enough. It’s apparent to the naked eye that there are incongruities between the availability of grooming products for men and women. Where in the department store women have dozens of shelves dedicated to their grooming needs, the men’s care section is diminutive in comparison.
There is a massive divergence between men’s interest in products that cater to their grooming needs, and the products that are actually being made available to them, and this poses a significant opportunity to anyone who wishes to find a place in this industry.
Ecommerce businesses can take the opportunity to position themselves favorably for when more products for men become more mainstream, helping to make the male dedicated products available everywhere, supplying and even stimulating the demand for these types of products.
The male grooming market is currently at a point where significant changes are being made. It is a turning point where both large and small players alike want in, and the online market is also beholding the birth of startups and niches that specialize in the needs of men for male grooming.
If you are an entrepreneur who knows what’s up, then you know that we are currently living in a period where we will see an exciting increase in the range of health and grooming products dedicated to the male consumer segment and that the opportunities in this market are waiting right around the corner.
Your Thoughts
What are your thoughts on the rise and increase in men’s grooming products? Do you think that there is a niche for you to open your very own online store dedicated to the male grooming industry? If you do, Ecommerce Pro would like to know. If you have a project in mind, contact Ecommerce Pro today. Together, we can help you build a better ecommerce business. Please feel free to start a conversation with us today!
Originally published at https://ecommercepro.com on October 13, 2019.
