In the world of cosmetics and personal care products, the United States lies among the trend and standard setters. To no surprise, cosmetics importers in the US are all eyes and ears, avid to stay ahead of the vast competition and nurture the new wave of passionate consumers. The country is the second-largest importer of beauty products in the world, with an 11% share of global beauty products import and relies on imports to ensure that its 328 million multicultural citizens have access to specific products from around the world.
Best prospects on the US market
Besides strong purchase power and rising incomes, the US cosmetics and personal care market growth has also been generally catalyzed by changing lifestyles and behaviours, particularly increased consciousness among consumers, about personal wellness and appearance. Cosmetics enthusiasts, especially Millenials and Generation Zers, are fond of small-medium sized, independent, niche brands that are quick to adapt to new market trends and product demand. The busy lifestyles have also driven a rise in the need for multifunctional beauty and personal care products.
Green and clean cosmetics
“Sustainable”, “organic”, “vegan” or “free-from” are among the winning keywords on cosmetics labels today as US consumers are very attentive to the ingredients and the environment, being eager to pay a higher price for effectiveness, quality, and production handling.
Today, skincare is a primary concern for US beauty consumers, and it`s seen as a long-term investment, that reflects wellness and health. For this reason, ingredient-conscious consumers have ignited a rising trend towards organic, natural, herbal, clean skincare, and cosmetics.
The natural trend is also with fragrances with natural ingredients like essential oils and after-use recycled materials, instead of mass perfumes. Besides the aroma, most demanded fragrances are functional perfumes that provide specific features and health benefits like promoting sleep or energy enhancement.
Premium beauty products
In the same vein, premium and luxury cosmetics have been a category under growing fondness, showing great sales growth among younger generations. Both men and women are interested in this category and many proactive market players have seized the opportunity to introduce gender neuter cosmetics and expand their portfolios, be it skincare products, hair care products, fragrances, or others.
Oral care, a self-care ritual
Once a daily necessity, oral hygiene has once with the availability of a plethora of products and treatments of varied prices and functionalities, converted to a modern beauty self-care ritual. Now, consumers allocate more time for their dental health and even examine at-home use products and tools to enhance their appearances, such as teeth whitening pastes or electric toothbrushes. The appearance of premium and natural products, as well as the influencer era, have created an increased consciousness to improve personal aesthetics and health, especially in the case of older citizens. US importers of oral care products are competing to supply the demand for the new wave of products as well as the items that solve the most frequent oral problems in the country such as sensitivity, dryness and tooth pain.
Baby wellness
Hygiene, nutrition, and the quick development of baby care products are creating buzz among parents who focus more on more on the health and wellness of their children, looking for trustworthy, qualitative, non-toxic products.
The US importers of baby care products are highly interested in further innovations, fresh products, and convenience. Online infrastructure has aided the growth in market share, once with peoples` increasing reliance on the internet for traditional daily activities like shopping. In 2020, the baby care products sector is estimated at US$3.1 Billion.
Functional hair care products
Current US trends for the haircare category include products that focus on scalp health, deep hair conditioners, hair masks, and serums that promote hair shine. Essentials like shampoos and conditioners show steady sales while the growing demand is for new, innovative hair care products or extended hair item portfolios. Natural or organic hair items are also drivers of market growth recently.
Business potential is high due to a mature market with a diversified taste for a wide range of hair products. The market competition is present in terms of quality, innovation, packaging, and branding. Revenue in the Hair Care segment equals US$11,928.7m in 2020, with a potential to grow by $1.15 billion during 2020-2024.
Successful strategies for the US cosmetics market
The US market for cosmetics is highly fragmented, with a substantial number of local and international players, with the top cosmetics imports sourced from China, France, Canada, Italy, and Mexico.
Cosmetics in the US are available in a wide range of locations, although traditional retail chains still play the largest role. The most popular shopping channels are drug stores, department stores, beauty specialist stores, supermarkets, mass retail stores or convenience stores, as well as teleshopping, spas or airport vending machines.
Mobile and non-mobile e-commerce in beauty and personal care in the US continue to maintain rapid growth and remain a mainstream channel for US customers. The beauty and personal care market share in e-commerce is predicted to rise to 48% in the United States by 2023.
The major strategies adopted by the companies operating in the US beauty and personal care market are product innovations, expansions, and mergers, and quick adaptation to beauty trends. Given the size of the cosmetics market in the United States, consumers are on the look for products that suit their needs, thus they are thrilled to explore different products.
Successful marketing strategies are subscription services, loyalty rewards, influencers and celebrities endorsements, in-store and online promotion combo, as well as special sales, limited edition items or customizable beauty products.
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