The suncare category is largely dependent on the weather, and with a wet summer in 2014, the category is predicted to decline in value by 8%. This offers opportunities for brands to advertise in the winter or position products outside the summer season. Innovations in multi-functional products, as well as products with appearance benefits such as anti-ageing, also present opportunities for the category.
Although sales of self-tanning products also showed a decline in the year to August 2014, the decline was smaller at 5%. This may have been driven by a reduction in prices, with the price per unit of self-tanning products declining by 2.4% in August 2014 compared with August 2013. In turn, the decline in price may have been driven by special offers and discounting in the category, which has struggled to show growth historically.
According to exclusive research, almost two thirds of adults have used sun protection in the last year and intend to use it again (65%), with usage higher amongst women (76%) and Millennials (66% of 16-24s and 71% of 25-34s). Older people are more likely to be non-users, at 29% of over-65s, which may be driven by a lower likelihood to sunbathe.
High level SPF shows the highest usage (42%) with those aged 35-44 most likely to use high SPF (48%). With usage of anti-ageing products standing at 39% of women in this age group, usage of high SPF products could be driven by a desire for anti-ageing benefits.
Parents with younger children are more likely to use different products on their children vs themselves (35% of parents with children under 5 use different products for their children compared with the average of 28%). This suggests that differentiation in products for babies/toddlers is important in this category.
A third of parents only worry about sun protection in the warm/summer months, suggesting that brands can do more to encourage parents to think about sun protection throughout the rest of the year.
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