According to figures from the NPD Group, sales were €2.9 million for Prestige Beauty in 2014, 0.6% down on the previous year, though they dropped 0.9% in 2013.
It was also a year of two halves it seems, as the first half’s 1.5% decline was then given a boost from August onwards with an, albeit small, 0.1% increase, thanks to performance in fragrance and make-up.
As the French market is very mature, strong growth is not expected going forward; although with new launches planned at the start of 2015, NPD expects the sales will continue as they did in the second half of 2014.
Mathilde Lion, Beauty Expert with NPD Group Europe, says that the return to growth in the second half in perfume and make-up was helped by a strong performance in women’s launches as well as in classic lines.
Fragrance up
Fragrance has probably seen the strongest performance in 2014 as it recovered to 0.2% growth thanks to strong second half sales which ended the year at €1.9 million.
Women’s fragrances are driving the majority of the growth with an increase of 0.6% in value, with their turnover representing 44% of Prestige sales value, says Lion.
"Women's fragrance is the only category driven by innovation this year with a more focused brand strategy on new initiatives for major lines that had been declining - such as Black Opium by YSL, Little Black Dress Couture Guerlain and Kenzo Love Game that the emergence of new concepts,” she says.
At the end of the year, NPD says that the top 5 brands battling it out in the category are led by Lancôme’s La Vie est Belle, followed by J'Adore Dior, La Petite Robe Noire, Coco Mademoiselle, and Chanel N ° 5.
Make-up
While not posting figures quite as impressive, the make-up category still maintained its sales level in 2014, according to Lion, with foundation and concealer sales helping the face make-up category return to growth.
Other smaller segments that seemed to connect with consumers were eyebrows products, facial brushes, lip gloss and multi-purpose cosmetics.
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