More women’s grooming appliances, like electric shavers and many other in-home personal grooming and hair removal devices, have sold over the past 12 months (July 2013–June 2014) than in the previous two years, according to The NPD Group.
One category in particular, electric shavers, have gained the most popularity, experiencing a unit sales increase of 22% in the 12 months ending June 2014, compared to the previous year. The resurgence of the women’s electric shaver category is visible across all U.S. markets, and it is areas of the South that are driving most of the growth.
In Atlanta, Georgia, unit sales are up 35% and dollar sales are up 21%. In Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, unit sales are up 29% while dollar sales are up 15%. In Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, Florida, unit sales are up 26% while dollar sales are up 17%. And in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota, Florida, unit sales are up 22% and dollars sales are up 10%.
Beyond the increased popularity of women’s electric shavers, several other categories of specialty hair removal devices are also experiencing increased demand. Products like bikini trimmers and personal pen-style trimmers that offer for more precise and multifunctional grooming are still growing in terms of unit sales. Volume for these products, as well as professional style in-home devices, are up slightly in the 12 months ending June 2014, on top of double-digit growth in the previous 12 month period.
Additionally, electric shavers is the only women’s grooming category that is experiencing dollar sales growth (+10% versus the 12 months ending June 2013), as well as unit increases.
At a time when there are more hair removal options than ever, the increased demand for in-home appliances may seem counter-intuitive. However, not all women want to put up with the risk of a nick from a blade, or the drawbacks and expense of salon options—especially for the younger consumers (under 45) who represent the largest portion of this market (60%).
