Personal Care Appliance Sales to Drop in 2020, Regain Ground to 2024

Durability, prevalence of low-end products will weigh on longer term growth

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Jun 19, 2020, 09:47 ET

CLEVELAND, June 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- US demand for personal care appliances is forecast to see 1.0% annual declines in nominal terms through 2024, according to Personal Care Appliances: United States, a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Declines to 2024 will largely represent a return to trend from an above-trend 2019 base year. In addition, the onset of COVID-19 in the US is expected to shrink spending on personal care appliances; post-2020 growth is not expected to entirely offset declines, but will be driven by:

rising disposable personal income levels, allowing consumers to trade up from lower-end appliances
the large millennial cohort forming stable households and purchasing higher quality appliances
introduction of expensive hair care products continuing to support demand in value terms

Despite these trends, sales of personal care appliances in volume terms will continue to be dominated by low-end products, restraining value growth. In addition, the durability of these products will continue to inhibit replacement activity, a problem exacerbated by the introduction of high-end appliances featuring even longer product lifespans.

Demand for personal care appliances is projected to decline 14% in 2020. The onset of COVID-19 and associated state closures of "nonessential" businesses have led to major job and income losses. The drop in consumer confidence and disposable incomes will suppress spending on personal care appliances, as well as encourage trading down to less-expensive appliances if replacements are needed. Demand will also be negatively impacted by a decline in consumer upkeep of personal appearances due to stay-at-home orders, social distancing, and the closure of social and business venues. However, further declines will be prevented by the closure of competing hair salons, skin care establishments, and spas, which will encourage use of personal care appliances for at-home beauty treatments. Some consumers see personal care appliances as a necessity while others see them as "affordable luxuries", which can spur purchasing even during economic downturns. Suppliers are expected to benefit once social distancing and work-from-home policies end as consumers return to their normal personal care regimens, though the extent of these gains will be mediated by the strength of the economic recovery.

These and other key insights are featured in Personal Care Appliances: United States. This report forecasts to 2024 US personal care appliance demand and shipments in nominal US dollars at the manufacturer level. Total demand is segmented by product in terms of:

massage
hair styling
grooming
oral care
room humidifiers
other products such as electric blankets, skincare appliances, and heating pads

To illustrate historical trends, total demand, total shipments, the various segments, and trade are provided in annual series from 2009 to 2019.

Parts and non-electric personal care appliances (e.g., manual toothbrushes, wet razors) are excluded from this report. Professional-grade personal care appliances, grooming devices used for agricultural and horticultural purposes, commercial (i.e., chair-type) hair dryers, and air purifiers are also excluded from the scope of this analysis. Re-exports of personal care appliances are excluded from demand and trade figures.

About Freedonia Focus Reports
Each month, The Freedonia Group – a division of MarketResearch.com – publishes over 20 new or updated Freedonia Focus Reports, providing fresh, unbiased analysis on a wide variety of markets and industries. Published in 20-30 pages, Focus Report coverage ranges from raw materials to finished manufactured goods and related services such as freight and construction. Additional Consumer Goods reports can be purchased at Freedonia Focus Reports or MarketResearch.com.

Analysis is intended to guide the busy reader through pertinent topics in rapid succession, including: