11.01.07
As the “green” products trend continues to advance, consumer demand for natural personal care products is driving a major shift from niche distribution channels to more mainstream mass retail outlets. This is fueling a sharp increase in sales, according to a newly-published study by worldwide consulting and research firm Kline & Company.
“For a long time, natural products have been the domain of health and organic food stores—niche retailers with a core group of loyal customers,” says Karen Doskow, project manager for Kline’s Consumer Products practice. “Naturals are now becoming commonplace in the aisles of national chain grocery and discount stores like Wal-Mart and Target. This will have a major impact on the competitive landscape of the personal care market.”
Kline’s in-depth report Natural Personal Care 2007: Competitive Brand Assessment and Ingredient Analysis indicates that the move to mass retail could help promote a revival of sorts among long-established yet little-known natural products companies like Jason Natural Products and Avalon Natural Products. However, it also makes them prime candidates for acquisition by the major players in the personal care market.
“These small natural companies could pose a threat to the major consumer product marketers, but rather than try to compete with each other, it’s likely we will see strategic acquisitions. The announced acquisition of Burt’s Bees by Clorox is a perfect example,” says Doskow. At first glance, it may seem like an unlikely fit, but Clorox, which is already solidly entrenched in the mass channels, will provide Burt’s Bees access to this wider distribution network, and Clorox gets a foothold in the fastest growing, high-margin segment of personal care.
Key acquisitions could also steer greater regulation of product ingredients, a move which would benefit both marketers and consumers. Currently, the naturals market is virtually unregulated in the United States, which means that authentic natural manufacturers must face off against mainstream imitators and “greenwashing” practices––slick marketing that only sounds natural.
Kline conducted an ingredient analysis for the natural product brands marketed by the 26 key players profiled in the study. The results are presented in the form of ranking criteria that rate the true “naturalness” of the products and establish benchmarks for what constitutes a truly natural product versus one made with both natural and synthetic ingredients.
“Some brands aren’t quite as natural as one may be led to believe,” Doskow says. “Many companies find it very difficult to walk the line between efficacy and being natural.”
More info: www.KlineGroup.com.
