Men!
Maybe it is thanks to the success of “Two and Half Men” or the new “Men of a Certain Age,” but men are now the market everyone wants to reach. Throughout the years, retailers and suppliers have totally reworked planograms to zero in on markets such as African-American consumers or teens. Now men are taking over.
From a retail standpoint, HEB is the latest to remerchandise with males in mind. The upscale supermarket chain has developed a men’s grooming area in conjunction with Procter & Gamble. It has more than 530 products in the selection, and there are touch screens where men can get grooming tips and find new products. It is in HEB stores in Boeme, San Antonio and Schertz, Tex. P&G’s Men’s Zone was a huge hit at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ Annual Meeting last year, and it appears many retailers want to try the concept.
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Rite Aid and Target have specified men’s areas, as do many other chains. Drugstore.com earlier this week launched the first Web site catering exclusively to the personal care needs of men at AtHisBest.com. The site features a broad selection (more than 10,000 stockkeeping units) of men’s grooming, health, home, fitness, sex and personal care essentials
Manufacturers are also gearing up with more men’s products. Pert Plus, for example, is expanding its line with the launch of two new three-in-one products formulated for men. That follows in many new launches aimed at men from Nivea, Gillette, L’Oréal and P&G.
And as The New York Times reported this week, much of the marketing of male items is now skewing even younger. Items such as Axe are being embraced by boys in middle school. The early use of these items should continue to spur sales down the road.
Among the items they are snapping up are face washes, body sprays, shampoos and hair gel. However, the efforts pumped into younger men coupled with the larger and more defined men’s grooming sections still haven’t improved sales of men’s grooming. Sales of men’s grooming products, according to ACNielsen, actually dropped 6.1 percent for the 52-week period ended Dec. 26 in food, drug and mass stores (including Wal-Mart). Sales sank to $497.9 million, below the $530 million posted for the same period in 2008. What’s more is that the drops were across all men’s areas.
It will be telling to check in on men’s sales in six months to see if the barrage of new items and new merchandising will help turn sales around.
People, Places and Things
A few words with Lyn Kirby, Ulta’s president and chief executive officer, about a new advertising campaign featuring a model with no makeup and then a finalized look after a makeover.
WWDBeautyNews: Why a campaign with a before-and-after strategy?
Lyn Kirby: It follows Ulta’s vision of the five “E’s.” They are escape, education, entertainment, esthetics and empowerment. This specifically plays into entertainment, education and empowerment. We are showing women they can achieve a look.
WWDBeautyNews: How were the products used selected?
L.K.: Our makeup artist went into the store and hand-selected the products. The look for March is feminine, fun and flirty. Specific shades are called out for eyes, lips and cheeks. The other looks will be very different, even though we are using the same model.
What’s in Store
CVS Goes to Memphis: CVS Caremark Corp. has made its second key market entry in the past two weeks, opening its first drug store in Memphis.
Products of the Year: Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Shampoo and Conditioner, Perfect 10 from Nice ’n Easy and Secret Clinical Strength Waterproof were among the Products of the Year selected by TNS.