Brazil makes up 11% of the world’s Toiletries, Fragrance and Cosmetics (HPPC) market. Of all the items in this market, hair care products are a Brazilian frontrunner (22%) and over the years, all the hair care products’ subcategories have experienced constant average growth.
This expanding consumption and a heterogeneous population have given rise to diverse habits and preferences throughout Brazil’s five regions. This has made it a must for companies to increasingly evaluate the true nature of the Brazilian consumer and, indeed, the latest research in the HPPC sector has shown there to be several targets for Brazil’s HPPC market.
Climate characteristics and socioeconomic differences are some of the factors which may shape Brazilian consumers’ differing preferences. There is also a type of consumer today who is not as visible as those who use ‘mass’ products but who come to figure largely here. The ‘premium’ or sophisticated item consumer is already well-known world-wide and has helped heat up Brazil’s economy.
That said, goods for mass consumption are those most represented in research. To understand this consumer better, an analysis undertaken by ABIHPEC (the Brazilian Association of the Toiletries, Fragrance and Cosmetics Industry) professionals based on Mintel data (Mintel is the global market research company) showed some of the peculiarities of consumption in the different regions of Brazil.
The study states that 69% of the population follows the same hair care routine in that it uses the same brand or type of product, believing this method works. However, 45% of the consumers in the three North-East capitals (Fortaleza, Salvador and Recife) and 36% of the Curitiba and Porto Alegre public believe hair looks better with regular switching of the type or brand of hair care product.
Turning to consumption, 57% of those interviewed in North-East cities and 51% of consumers in the two Southern region capitals stated that they purchased hair care products while doing their supermarket shopping.
In terms of the end product of consumption, the research showed that 53% of those interviewed in the Center-West, 42% in the North, 38% in the South-East, 27% in the North-East and 25% in the South used conditioning products. Products for normal hair were the preference of 36% of consumers in the Center-West, 31% in the North-East, 30% in the South-East, 28% in the South and 27% in the North.
Anti-frizz products were more favored in the North (20%), by 16% of consumers in the South-East and 11% in the South, North-East and Center-West.
More volumizing creams are consumed in the Center-West and North-East (14% apiece). Their popularity in the South-East sees them the choice of 13% of the population, 12% in the North and 9% in the South. There was a heavier consumption of products for greasy hair in the Center-West (16%), followed by the South (13%), the South-East (11%), the North (9%) and the North-East (6%).
Curl-enhancing products are not much used throughout Brazil as a whole, showing a national preference for straight hair. Consumption of this type of product in the South-East is 7%, 6% in the North-East, 6% in the North, 3% in the South and 2% in the Center-West.
The disparity is also evident if we compare male and female consumers across the regions. Men prefer anti-dandruff products (43%), followed by products for normal hair (32%) and conditioning products (26%). Women use more conditioning products (43%), products for normal hair (28%) and hair repair products (28%).
Analyzing the habits of the population as a whole, shows that 65% prefer to apply hair treatments at home rather than going to a beauty salon. In terms of general use of products, 91% of those interviewed use shampoo, 75% use rinse-off conditioners, 39% leave-in conditioners, 33% treatment products and 30% sculpting and fixing products.
It can be seen that in terms of beauty care products, the Brazilians’ first concern is hair care. The size of the country and the differences in climate throughout the country create a range of market opportunities for a wide variety of products.