Focus on Male Grooming: 6 July

Focus On: Male Grooming by Daniel Selwood

Publishing: 6 July

Advertising deadline: 21 June

Submissions deadline: 20 June

Download the synopsis here

The Story

Not long ago, men weren’t supposed to care much about the planet – or care about much, for that matter. Times are changing. This year, not only has Gillette tackled toxic masculinity, but male grooming brands are lining up to tout their eco-friendly credentials. Bulldog is using bioplastic and bamboo instead of plastic, King of Shaves has a Code Zero reusable packaging brand, and Bluebeard’s Revenge has a vegan travel beard brush. Plus, Unilever has put Lynx on its Loop platform, which makes the brand available in reusable packaging via an online store. So who is winning in the eco-friendly stakes? How are consumers responding? And how could this movement influence sales in future?

Main themes

Brands: Who is innovating to become more eco-friendly? Who is leading the charge? Why are they investing in this efforts and what returns are they seeing?

Practicality: How practical are these solutions and are there any hurdles to overcome?

Direct-to-consumer: DTC is all the rage at the moment. To what extent are DTC brands embracing the eco-friendly movement? And does the model stand up to scrutiny when it comes to sustainability? Also considering the changes to the model of major players, is DTC not the killer threat to grocery that it was once believed to be?

Sales: To what extent are eco-friendly credentials influencing sales, if at all?

Consumer attitudes: To what extent are consumers demanding more from their male grooming brands? What is most important to them?

Toxic masculinity: Efforts to tackle toxic masculinity received a mixed response. How do consumers feel about this message?

Innovations: We identify four new products or product ranges that ideally have not appeared in The Grocer before, including launch date, image and rsp.

Kantar data: Using Kantar commentary, we explain the reasons behind the rise and fall of certain sub-categories.

Nielsen data: Using Nielsen commentary, we explain the reasons behind the rise and fall of the top 10 brands.

Online listicle to go live on 5 July: What are the main innovations & how are they shaping the market