INSIDE
SUN CARE
Sun Care’s Bright Future As consumers get out of the house and take skin health seriously, the category is poised for growth
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asks are off; sunscreen is on. As vaccination rates increase, Americans are ready to hit the pool, beach, backyard and hiking trails. With more than a year’s worth of pent-up travel in full swing, sun care sales are heating up after a down year. Category sales dropped 8.9% for the 52-week period ended Dec. 27, 2020 in multi-unit outlets, according to IRI. Similar sales trends kicked off 2021. The only bright spot in 2020 and early 2021 was self-tanners as consumers faked getting a glow. The picture is much different this summer. All indications are that retailers need to stock up as they plan for the next few years. Some suggest the category receive more real estate in stores to reflect the surge in demand, including greater off-shelf presentations. Mordor Intelligence predicts sun care will produce yearly gains exceeding 3% through 2026. The India-based research firm calls sun care one of the fastest-growing segments within personal care. Their researchers reported that sun protection will benefit from concern over skin cancer, as well as aging linked to exposure to UV rays. Layering on top of that, demand will stay strong for self-tanners along with after-sun products. One of the fastest growing aftersun products is Quest Products’ Sunburnt Daily After-Sun Lotion. The Pleasant Prairie, Wis.-based company purchased Sunburnt in 2019 and has successfully expanded distribution to major retailers, such as Target, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Publix and Kroger. Mirroring trends in many categories
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emerging from the pandemic, shoppers are looking for cleaner formulas, multitasking products and ingredients that are safer for the environment. In the case of sun care, the concern is over marine life. Mineral sunscreens, once the domain of higher-end lines, has gained mass acceptance, and the segment is doing well, according to such retailers as Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS and Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreens. Consumers are on the prowl for mineral-based lines that don’t leave their mark. Google searches for sunscreens experience the biggest leaps across skin care, and the hunt for “sunscreens that don’t leave a white cast” skyrocketed almost 610%.
Other subsectors with promise are derm and sport formulas, which all add more dollars to transactions thanks to slightly higher price tags. And while sun protection is a serious concern to prevent skin cancer and aging, shoppers are on the hunt for fun products like Wilton, Conn.-based Beiersdorf’s Coppertone’s Glow SPF 30 and Coppertone Glow SPF 50, which both feature a touch of shimmer. With consumers out and about more, they continue a pre-pandemic movement to SPF 50 or higher, retailers said. After losing shelf space to emerging brands over the past five years, heritage companies either snapped up those niche
July 2021 DRUGSTORENEWS.COM
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