The Changing Trends in Men’s Grooming
Rising awareness, spending power, and lifestyle changes are waking up the young and urbane Indian men to a new era of self-grooming needs. The beauty industry better gear-up to meet the demand with quality and quantity. Beauty Launchpad May 2019 ‘Men’s Special’ issue investigates the current scenario in male grooming and the future trends to look out for. Here’s an excerpt from the exclusive —
The average Indian man spends 42 minutes on grooming per day — reveals the latest report by market intelligence agency Mintel. The research also shows that almost two-thirds (65%) of Indian men above 18 years of age are concerned about their appearance. An earlier report by ASSOCHAM found that men between the ages of 25-45 spend more money on grooming and personal care products than women in India. The influx and success of products and services — both homegrown and international — only goes to prove the point. So, is the playing field levelled — is the beauty industry shedding it’s ‘women’s domain’ tag?
“Men’s grooming market is at a growth stage in India. With the entry of multiple global and domestic brands, the industry will grow at a minimum rate of 30% YOY over the next 10 years. The exponential growth is due to higher disposable income, increasing awareness and easy availability of products at affordable prices.”
— Istayak Ansari, Director-cofounder, Lloyds Luxuries Ltd
Truefitt & Hill, a global benchmark in men’s luxury grooming products and services, began their India business operations in April 2014 and currently have 20+ stores across 12+ cities. the brand provides two levels of services — Classic and royal. The latter — a full range of barbering services coupled with 150+ luxury grooming products and accessories — accounts for 70% of their service revenue in India. In terms of growth rate per salon, Istayak shares, “The average store revenue growth rate in the second year of operations was 30% to 40%. Third-year onwards, the growth rate averages around 12% to 15%.”
So, what has triggered this shift from the basics?
One reason is certainly the need to relax and be pampered in-between busy schedules and the other is evidently the realisation that staying well-groomed is vital to making a good impression in professional and personal dos.
‘Self-grooming’ was reportedly one of the most popular new year resolutions among men, this year. And the idea of grooming has moved well beyond sporting a cool hair cut or hitting the gym. Skin care and maintaining beards are also high on the agenda. Personal care product lines seem to be on track with the changing demands with a surplus of face washes, scrubs, beard oils, hair wax, shampoos and more ready to fill men’s shopping carts. And how about salons?
“We are always initiating comprehensive skin strategies for men that are aimed at motivating them to adopt a healthy skin care regime. With pamphlets and direct mailers, we spread awareness about the right use of beauty products and knowledge about effective therapies. We also offer express services in innovative spa and wellness therapies to suit those who battle hectic work schedules,” informs Richa Aggarwal, Founder, Cleopatra Wellness spa Beauty Makeovers, Chandigarh.
Professional care products have also stepped up to match the innovative services offered by salons — American Crew, Wella Professionals, The Man Company, Sebastian Professional, L’oréal Professionnel Homme, Schwarzkopf Professional, Beardo and Ustraa to name a few.
India is a country of contrasts but that doesn’t stop it from being a lucrative market — only if you know how to interpret each regions’ unique character. Quality in service is, however, a unanimous demand pan India — the emergence of plush salons even in small towns is proof enough. While the metros vie to expand on innovations, smaller cities are focused on hygiene-friendly facilities as awareness about the importance of cleanliness spreads. From the customer’s perspective, the bigger the city the more awareness they have about the product, style or the services. else, it’s about a role model they look up to.
if not for celebrities upping their style game, product offerings and innovative marketing techniques have found the winning formula to create trends instantly. In a world of social media influencers and viral strategies, men have a wealth of inspirations to look up and follow. Hairdressers and salon professionals also contribute to spreading information about the latest innovations in men’s grooming.
Photo: Toni&Guy: Legacy