In India, 90% of customers primarily use bar cleaning soap for his or her bathing routine, demonstrating their deep-rooted affinity for this format in line with Mintel analysis. Conversely, solely 9% of Indians report utilizing physique wash, bathe gel, or bathe cream as their principal bathing product.
Their hesitance to make use of the physique wash format is pushed by elements resembling perceived excessive prices of physique wash, associations with dangerous chemical substances and considerations about water wastage. On this article, we discover how manufacturers can overcome these limitations and make physique wash extra interesting, notably to metro customers who are sometimes early adopters of magnificence tendencies.
Make physique wash extra economical
The numerous price ticket of physique washes, typically perceived as a luxurious product, deters many customers, with 63% contemplating it too costly. This sentiment rises to 69% amongst metro customers who normally have bigger budgets for magnificence merchandise.
To beat this, manufacturers may deploy pricing methods that incentivize trial and repeat consumption. Providing worth packs, combo offers, and subscription companies are potential ways. Transparency and communication about pricing methods may improve the model’s picture of being economical.
As an illustration, Cocokind emphasises its use of minimalistic packaging to scale back prices. In the meantime, Outlaw affords a Physique Wash Subscription Field, delivering a selected physique wash to the shopper each month.
Emphasise ‘cleaner’ formulations
The notion of physique washes being laden with dangerous chemical substances is one other barrier to utilization. Indian customers favor pure magnificence merchandise, associating chemical substances with being dangerous to the pores and skin. Mintel analysis on Clear Magnificence exhibits that ‘free from dangerous chemical substances’ is ranked as a very powerful issue by 12% of Indian customers when selecting magnificence merchandise, intently following ‘made with pure substances’ (15%).
Manufacturers like Plum Goodness counter this concern by providing bathe gels with light, non-drying cleaning formulation which can be stated to be cruelty-free and devoid of dangerous substances like sulphates, parabens, phthalates, silicones, and animal-derived substances.
Deal with water consumption considerations
India, being probably the most water-stressed nations, steadily faces water shortages. Given the prevalent apply of bucket bathing, the perceived excessive water requirement of physique wash pushes customers in the direction of bar cleaning soap.
Though extra sustainable choices (eg biodegradable packaging or progressive formulations) will be costlier to provide notably for smaller magnificence manufacturers, positioning eco-friendly choices at inexpensive costs could be a game-changer. Manufacturers may discover progressive, waterless codecs like powders, sheets, and tablets to enhance the worth notion of physique wash.
Godrej, as an illustration, launched India’s first ready-to-mix physique wash, affordably priced for the mass market. The product, obtainable in small sachets of concentrated method, will be combined with water and poured into reused containers, creating 200ml of physique wash. This strategy not solely addresses sustainability but additionally breaks down the worth barrier, making it simpler for customers to change from bar cleaning soap to physique wash.
What we expect
The upper value of physique wash in comparison with bar cleaning soap in India is a major barrier to adoption. Manufacturers could make physique wash extra economical by way of worth packs and smaller packaging, coupled with cleaner formulations that don’t considerably enhance prices. Lastly, to reinforce the perceived worth of physique wash, manufacturers have the chance to delve into creative alternate options resembling powder, sheet, and pill formulations that remove the necessity for water.
