The deodorants, antiperspirant and body spray category is the largest and one of the strongest for the aerosol sector in the UK, with producers filling 754.8 million cans last year, an increase of 7% according to the British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association (BAMA).
Around 60% of deodorants filled in the UK are exported. Other personal care categories also experienced growth, in particular suntan and bronzing products with a year-on-year increase of 16% to 2.5 million, while hairspray also remains buoyant, up 10% to 97.8 million cans filled.
There was, however, a notable decline for two personal care categories: colognes and perfumes in aerosol format, which decreased by 16%, and shaving products, which fell by 5%. This decline possibly reflects the difficulties that this category has experienced within male grooming, generally sparked by the trend for facial hair. Cosmetics Business speaks to Dr John Morris, Chief Executive of BAMA, about the importance of sustainability and innovation in the aerosol segment for APD products and why exports are so important for the business
How innovative do you think the aerosol segment for APD products is in the UK?
Innovation in product formulation, pack graphics and shape continue, combined with the unique properties of the aerosol delivery system.
This combination keeps consumers engaged with the product format and gives shelf presence. One of the most important innovations over the last few years has been the smaller ‘compressed’ format which uses less propellant and packaging materials, making the products more sustainable while still giving excellent performance. In addition, formulation innovation has led to 72-hour protection products.
What are the biggest challenges that UK APD aerosol manufacturers are facing at the moment?
A key challenge is ensuring that sustainability is shown to be built into the product as consumers become more aware of the issues effecting lifestyle choices. Most aerosols currently are in metal, which is infinitely recyclable, and more than 90% of local authorities in the UK are accepting empty aerosols as a result of a campaign led by BAMA and others to improve kerbside recycling of empty aerosols along with other household recycling. Many consumers like the fact that they can recycle the packaging.
How do you expect the market to continue to develop over the coming year?
We expect UK aerosol fillings to continue to grow against a backdrop of a mature domestic market, underlining the importance of exporting. There is no reason to suppose that the growth in fillings in this aerosol category will falter. People like to use aerosols for deodorant protection, so as long as the product format continues to provide consumer satisfaction there are still many markets with growth potential.