Indian Consumer Trends: Insights from the Mintel Report
The Indian consumer is changing as we speak and so are the product innovations. The trend is clearly moving towards a healthier lifestyle, greener living and men emerging as a distinct category to be separately addressed. The following insights are provided by Mintel’s team of local analysts and thought leaders, representing expertise in consumer lifestyles, food and drink, as well as beauty and personal care.
Healthy Life: The availability of mass brands with natural ingredients at affordable prices is also helping to drive the sale of natural products. Mintel expects the demand for natural products to continue to grow as the trend toward healthy living also increases. Almost half of the Indian female skincare users aged 25-34 look for a natural claim when purchasing a skin care product. According to (GNPD), 70% of facial skincare launches in India in 2018 featured a ‘botanical/herbal’ claim on the packaging, while 22% featured a ‘natural’ claim.
Men’s Grooming: Nearly two in five Indian men agree that appearance is very important. The Indian male grooming industry is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, particularly as more and more men are increasingly conscious of the need or desire to look groomed. Men’s grooming has evolved from basic shaving creams and shampoos to a variety of products for hair care, skincare, beard care, fragrance, accessories and beyond. Skin lightening and hair colour products for both facial and hair on the head are among the most popular among Indian men today.
De-Stress: Almost half of the Indian consumers say stress is a health concern. Fast-paced lifestyles, coupled with the myriad of personal and professional responsibilities consumers juggle each day, can leave urban Indians feeling constantly drained. According to Mintel GNPD, just 0.1% of all new product launches in India carried a ‘stress & sleep’ claim in 2017, all of which were in the vitamins and supplements space. This signals a huge gap in the consumer market for more stress relief product innovation.
In Time: Modern commute times are ever increasing. As reports show that people living in the metro cities of Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi have an average commute time of around 60 minutes one-way, Mintel Trend ‘Transumers’ notes how consumers are looking for ways to maximise their time while in transit, resulting in the growing demand for products that fit their lifestyle needs. “Health, portability and convenience can catapult snacking on an upward growth trajectory; on-the-go and single-serve packs, spill-proof caps, and vending machines at bus shelters and train stations can further drive the growth of India’s snacking sector” – Nidhi Sinha, Head of Content, Mintel Indian Consumer.
This report was first featured in Beauty Launchpad India Magazine. For the full feature, see Beauty Launchpad IND Dec 2018 issue.