As economic conditions fluctuate, buyers are becoming more discerning and balancing cost with quality in their purchasing decisions.
Soap, Bath and Shower Products Market Research – Current Landscape
Growth in the bath products market is driven by a heightened focus on hygiene and self-care, with consumers increasingly investing in comprehensive personal care solutions that are not only functional, but also bring added skin benefits and support overall wellbeing.
The US bath and shower products market is also witnessing innovation in product offerings, with a notable shift towards premiumization, ‘clean’ labels and diversification of sub-categories and use cases tied to specific occasions, as consumers demand personalized and specific offerings for their unique skin and cleansing needs.
Looking ahead, success in the bath products market will depend on delivering value, convenience and aligning with skin-beneficial desires, while navigating shifting market dynamics and economic challenges.
Bath Products Market Statistics
- Bath and Shower Products Market Trends: 60% of users of clean body cleansing products in the US put body wash in their top three BPC categories in which they prioritize buying ‘clean’.
Soap, Bath and Shower Products Market Research – What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analysed in this Report
- Bath products market size, forecast and segment performance.
- Bath and shower products market trends and innovation.
- Key challenges and opportunities for soap, bath, and shower stakeholders in the US.
- Consumer engagement in the bath products market.
- Changes in shower and/or bath routines.
- Consumer attitudes and behaviors towards trending soap, bath, and shower rituals and routines beyond product functionality.
- Key purchase factors in the bath and shower products market.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report is written by Carson Kitzmiller, Senior Analyst. Carson joined Mintel in 2022 and focuses on beauty and personal care reports. Prior to Mintel, she worked in various product development and consumer insights roles focused on CPG and personal care within specialty retail, DTC, and contract manufacturing.
Success in the crowded bath and shower products market depends on proving value, self-care integration, and adding skin benefits, whether from big players, niche brands or private labels.
Carson Kitzmiller
Senior Analyst – Beauty & Personal Care
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market size and forecast
- Market predictions
- What consumers want and why
- Opportunities
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market context
- The US is expected to have grown by 2.3% in Q4 2024
- Graph 1: quarterly real GDP growth, 2021-24
- Annual inflation slightly rose in November
- Graph 2: headline CPI and core CPI, 2021-24
- Consumer sentiment fell by 4% from December
- Graph 3: consumer sentiment index, 2022-25
- Nearly 45% of consumers have seen their financial situations change for the better in the past year
- Graph 4: change in financial situation over the past 12 months, 2023 and 2024
- Households’ outlooks on their personal finances remains bullish
- Graph 5: income growth in the past 12 months, by financial outlook, 2024
- Graph 6: opinions on financial future, 2024
- Market drivers
- Drugstore downturn offers opportunities for new channels of distribution
- US: total retail sales of soap, bath and shower products, by channel, at current prices, 2019-24
- Like macro BPC, premium brands find success in mass retailers
- Traditional department stores like Nordstrom focus on “young adult” collections
- MoCRA: short-term hurdles, long-term trust
- Small sustainable brands face challenges in 2024
- Market size and forecast
- Retail sales and forecast of soap, bath and shower products
- US – value fan chart: total market
- Retail sales and forecast of soap, bath and shower products, at current prices
- Retail sales and forecast of soap, bath and shower products, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Household spend on SBS +40% since 2019
- Market segmentation
- Liquid body wash drives forecasted growth
- Graph 7: total retail sales and forecast of soap, bath and shower products, by segment, at current prices, 2019-29
- US: total retail sales and forecast of soap, bath and shower products, by segment, at current prices, 2019-29
- Market share/brand share
- P&G, SC Johnson and Naterra see double-digit growth in MULO
- Dr. Squatch gains in the bar soap segment
- Procter & Gamble sees success with body wash portfolio
- Skin-first even in the mass market
- Colgate-Palmolive’s Softsoap stays on top
- Private label bath products gain significant market share
- Purell remains a go-to in the sanitizer space
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- Mass SBS launches dip, prestige NPD sees most growth in ’24
- Graph 8: SBS product launches, by beauty price positioning, 2019-24
- “Bodycare Boom”: brands expand portfolios to support total-body skin
- Premium brands highlight fragrance and elevated skin support to warrant price positioning
- Private label growth signals consumer openness to off-brand alternatives
- “Clean” formulas remain a consumer priority
- Feed the appetite for gourmand fragrances
- Graph 9: soap, bath and shower product launches with select fragrance-related words in the product description, 2019-24
- Seasonal collaborations highlight sweet and gourmand
- Climate changes could shift SBS innovation and increase awareness of environmental issues
- Future tech: revolutionize showers with water recycling systems
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Product usage and spend
- Shower products stagnant in usage from 2021-24
- Graph 10: usage of shower products, 2021-24
- Stable hand hygiene but consumers have become more selective
- Graph 11: usage of hand cleansing & sanitizing products, 2021-24
- Bath products sustain popularity in ’24
- Graph 12: usage of bath products, 2021-24
- 33% of SBS users engage with 5+ types of products within cleansing routines
- Diversified formats drive longer product routines
- Graph 13: SBS product usage, by SBS product usage (repertoire), 2024
- Specialty format use grows with typical spend per month
- Graph 14: soap, bath and shower product usage, by typical spend per month, 2024
- Shower/bathing routines – frequency and changes
- Majority bathe/shower daily, over a third over under-35s extend to a few times per week
- Graph 15: frequency of bathing/showering, by age, 2024
- Showering is self-care for under-35s
- Graph 16: changes in shower routine in the last year, by gender and age, 2024
- Monthly spend drives change in shower routines
- Graph 17: change in shower product usage/routines in the last year, by typical spend on SBS products per month, 2024
- Keep bath users engaged through relaxation and innovative elements
- Graph 18: changes in bath routine in the last year, by gender and age, 2024
- Bathing as a relaxation opportunity
- Make bath routines accessible
- Graph 19: change in bath routine, by select financial situations, 2024
- Attitudes and behaviors toward routines
- Everything showers and specialized steps: turning mundane routines into special occasions
- Graph 20: select routine behaviors, by age, 2024
- What encompasses an “everything shower”?
- Biotyspa promises lymphatic support in shower routines
- Rise, shine and shower: over half of daily cleansers prefer mornings
- Graph 21: preference for morning or night shower/bathing, by frequency of showering/bathing, 2024
- Position budget-friendly experimentation
- Graph 22: “dry” cleansing interest and experimentation with a new step in the last 12 months, by household income, 2024
- Maximize “dry” routines to save water
- Splish, splash and specialize: bath users level up their cleansing game
- Graph 23: attitudes and behaviors toward routines, by select SBS product usage, 2024
- Cleansing beyond functionality
- Position daily cleansing as a stress-free ritual
- Graph 24: select self-care attitudes and behaviors toward bathing/showering routines, by gender, 2024
- Daise’s “mood-matching” bodycare infuses joy in body cleansing routines
- Tap into the “cold shower” market for younger wellness enthusiasts
- Graph 25: taking colder showers/baths for health benefits, by age, 2024
- Help consumers who switch to cold showers
- A two-prong approach to shower filters: health and beauty support
- Graph 26: interest in shower filter, by gender and age, 2024
- Focus on filter tech for healthy skin
- Motivate users beyond hygiene through energetic positionings
- Graph 27: taking showers to help energize self, by select race or ethnicity, 2024
- Attributes most important (ranked)
- There’s a skin health focus, but don’t discount fragrance
- Graph 28: attributes most important excluding price (ranked – up to 3), 2024
- In context, body cleansing fragrance as important as perfume
- Graph 29: fragrance use by sub-category, 2024
- Go beyond basic attributes for higher spenders
- Graph 30: attributes most important excluding price (ranked – NET, any rank), by typical spend on SBS products per month, 2024
- Cleansing bars highlight skin-beneficial ingredients to justify premium positioning
- Link eco-friendly attributes to higher price points through ease and aesthetics
- Graph 31: attributes most important excluding price (ranked – NET, any rank), by gender and age, 2024
- Shopping attitudes and behaviors
- Demonstrating efficacy and value is essential, regardless of financial circumstances
- Graph 32: shopping behaviors, by financial situation, 2024
- Cater to younger adults willing to spend more
- Graph 33: shopping behaviors, by age, 2024
- Position premium with “clean” and health attributes for young men
- Graph 34: select purchasing behaviors, by gender and age, 2024
- Purchase behaviors
- Most SBS users have purchased something new based on price, brand or format this year
- Graph 35: purchasing behaviors in the last 12 months (selected “I have done this”), by select SBS product usage,2024
- Millennials: researching, engaged and experimenting
- Young women drive the need for gentle and personalized
- Graph 36: select purchasing behaviors (selected “I have done this”), by females of select generations, 2024
- Brands launch products for sensitive skin
- Build value proposition on premium and credible for men
- Graph 37: select purchase behaviors in the last 12 months (selected “I have done this”), by gender and age, 2024
- Go beyond the cost savings of value sizing: convenience
- Graph 38: purchasing value-pack or value-size SBS products in the past 12 months, by household income, 2024
- Extend fragrance layering rituals to the shower
- Graph 39: buying a SBS product specifically for its fragrance in the last 12 months, by select race or ethnicity, 2024
- Support sensitive skin through fragrance-free options
- Graph 40: purchasing behaviors in the last 12 months, 2024
- Graph 41: used select products because they were fragrance-free, by generation, 2024
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APPENDIX
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast fan chart methodology
- Market sizing and forecast charts
- US: total retail sales of soap, bath and shower products, by segment, at current prices, 2022 and 2024
- US: total retail sales and forecast of bar soap, at current prices, 2019-29
- US: total retail sales and forecast of bar soap, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2019-29
- US: value, average price and volume of multi-outlet bar soap sales, 2019-23
- US: total retail sales and forecast of liquid body wash, at current prices, 2019-29
- US: total retail sales and forecast of liquid body wash, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2019-29
- US: value, average price and volume of multi-outlet liquid body wash sales, 2019-23
- US: total retail sales and forecast of liquid hand soap, at current prices, 2019-29
- US: total retail sales and forecast of liquid hand soap, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2019-29
- US: value, average price and volume of multi-outlet liquid hand soap sales, 2019-23
- US: total retail sales and forecast of bath fragrances/bubble bath, at current prices, 2019-29
- US: total retail sales and forecast of bath fragrances/bubble bath, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2019-29
- US: value, average price and volume of multi-outlet bath fragrances/bubble bath sales, 2019-23
- US: total retail sales and forecast of hand sanitizers, at current prices, 2019-29
- US: total retail sales and forecast of hand sanitizers, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2019-29
- US: value, average price and volume of multi-outlet hand sanitizer sales, 2019-23
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