New report shows growth in online sales of personal care products in the US

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Sep 30, 2015

Digital IQ Index released Tuesday a new study on retail sales for personal care products in the US and the digital presence of personal care companies.

The personal care industry generates $150 billion in sales in the US, and the top 72 brands reach their customers through retail distribution and online. Over 50% of the 72 brands have a strong digital presence based on e-commerce, digital marketing, social media and mobile.
 
The report found that Gilette, Dove, and Olay are considered to be “geniuses” and “gifted”, based on scores of 144, 135 and 135, respectively. Gilette and Dove make the list twice with Gilette Venus in the top 10 and Dove Men + Care in the top 20. Neutrogena and Burt's Bees are also among the “gifted” companies.

In a span of three years, brands have invested in making their websites easier to navigate. 85% have keyword searches, 72% have user reviews and 55% have a responsive website design. The store locator option decreased, however, from 2013 to 2015 by 18%.
 
For social media, brands have all adopted Facebook pages and receive the most interaction on YouTube, and in 2015 have turned to Twitter and Instagram and shied away from Pinterest.