Hair styling has emerged from its slump with vibrancy, and as a more sophisticated category than before.
Even pre-pandemic, hair styling products struggled to find solid growth, as more natural, longer hair trends took precedent. Then, due to social distancing measures during lockdowns the segment was de-prioritised by consumers further, leading to it being the hardest hit in hair care.
But in 2022, sales have shot up by double digits across Europe for prestige styling products, up 14% to end of June, and by 35% in the US during the first quarter, according to The NPD Group. In the UK, they are outperforming the country’s overall hair care market, with sales up 13%.
“We’ve seen the return of the styling category with products like hairspray, dry shampoo (which is often used as a styling product) and serums all growing,” says Kantar’s Strategic Insight Director Matt Maxwell. “This is thanks to the fact that people are going out to parties, seeing friends and have more of a need to use styling products.”
Hair care brand Olaplex has also seen a growing demand for styling products. Chief Marketing Officer Charlotte Watson says: “People are now out and about and enjoying life and so we definitely have seen seen more demand for styling products. We see it in the way that our audience reacts to these products, and also in the trends we’re seeing across social.”
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