Australians are turning to personal care appliances in droves with men as much as women buying into a new generation of personal care technology. As a result the Asia Pacific personal appliance market which includes Australia is growing among the fastest in the world according to reseach by Global Industry Analysts.
According to global research personal care appliances have become a part of the routine life of Australians. Hair dryers and curling irons are well accepted in the market, while massagers, trimmers, and electric toothbrushes are gaining popularity, worldwide.
World market for Personal Care Appliances is forecast to maintain a CAGR of over 2.52% over the years 2000-2010 and reach in excess of 460 million units by the end of the decade. Asia-Pacific forms the fastest growing market, with a CAGR of about 4.01%, during the period 2000-2010. Growing popularity of personal care appliances is mainly attributed to increased consumer awareness related to improving appearance, and personal wellness.
World market for Hair Care Appliances is projected to reach about 281 million units by 2010, while the market for Oral Care Appliances is forecast to reflect a CAGR of 3.83%, during the years 2000-2010. The global market for oral care appliances is largely driven by electric toothbrushes that witnessed a rise of around 15% in terms of sales value in the year 2005. Greater efficiency and reducing prices made electric toothbrushes a better option against other oral care products.
Increasing demand for power toothbrushes was initially driven by consumer curiosity, as well as the promise of delivering simple and effective brushing experience. However, power toothbrushes segment is characterized by a high-degree of fragmentation, primarily due to high-cost and high-end models, when compared to manual toothbrushes. To counter the stagnation, toothbrush manufacturers are undertaking product development programs for designing innovative and efficient products.
Hair care, is exhibiting tremendous growth, primarily due to the trend towards healthy hair, the catchword being “Personal care begins with hair.” Hair care is one of the most competitive segments in the toiletry industry today. All hair care categories, other than hair spray and home permanents, experienced a rise in sales. One of the rapidly growing areas of hair care is hair coloring. The trend towards more younger and vibrant look triggered growth for hair coloring, which now forms a significant subsegment within the hair care category.
Personal care electrical appliances market is witnessing intense competition, due to the presence of limited number of players. A handful of well-known brands dominate various segments of personal care electrics market such as oral care, grooming, and hair care products. The acquisition of Gillette by P&G has further intensified competition in the market. P&G divested its SpinBrush toothbrush business to Church & Dwight Co., as it competed with Oral-B brand from Gillette. For instance, P&G’s partnership with Philips for Sonicare brand created rival brand for its Gillette power toothbrush.
Major players in the market include Colgate-Palmolive, GABA GmbH, Conair Corp, Helen of Troy L.P, HoMedics Inc, Johnson & Johnson, Lion Corp, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd, Royal Philips Electronics NV, Norelco Consumer Products Company, Procter & Gamble, Braun GmbH, Remington Products Company, Salton Inc., Sanyo Electric Company Limited, Groupe SEB, Waterpik Technologies Inc, and Wahl Clipper Corporation.
