​Focus On Male Grooming: 18 July

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big beard

Source: Unsplash

Focus On: Male Grooming, by Daniel Selwood

Publishing: 18 July

Advertising deadline: 9 July

Download the synopsis

Submissions deadline: 29 June

The story

Male grooming is facing a sea change. For one, beards are making a major comeback. With fewer reasons than ever to shave, British men are letting their whiskers run riot. Does this mark the start of long-running trend? Or will stubble make a quick return? And what about haircare? With barbers closed, are guys shampooing their long locks or taking a razor their pates? And are they caring for other areas, such as their skin, more or less? How are brands responding to changes in habits?

Key themes

Demand: which products have seen the most demand in lockdown? Are men still keeping up with their personal hygiene routines? What products have they been using? And which ones have they been ignoring? Have the more niche fashions – such as Korean-style face masks – been abandoned in favour of the grooming staples? Or are chaps still looking sharp for all those Zoom meetings? How have brands been catering for guys’ preferences during lockdown in terms of innovation and marketing?

Shaving: how have razor sales been affected during lockdown? And aftershave products? Have beard balms and oils seen increased demand?

Promotions: men are notorious for buying what’s on offer, rather than being brand loyal. So, with supermarkets all but axing deals in the early days of the pandemic, how were men’s grooming choices affected?

DTC: how have Cornerstone, Harry’s, Dollar Shave Club and the rest performed during lockdown? Were they able to keep up with demand – and what did they sell most of?

Nielsen: using Nielsen commentary, explain the reasons behind the rise and fall of the leading male grooming brands.

Kantar data: using Kantar commentary, we explain the reasons behind the rise and fall of the relevant brands.

Innovations: we identify four new products that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before including launch date and RSP, and a picture of each.