"The Man Company grew 2x in FY22 over FY21"

Adgully is back with a new edition of its annual feature – TRENDING NOW – where we present the strategies and views of a cross-section of industry leaders as they go about reclaiming lost time and market opportunities and build for a stronger future, armed with the lessons of the pandemic period.

Over the last few weeks, Trending Now has been bringing insights from industry leaders on how their organisations are geared up to seize the opportunities in 2022, break through the Covid disruptions and find growth and remain resilient.

In conversation with Adgully, Hitesh Dhingra, Founder, The Man Company, speaks about how the men’s grooming and personal care industry has grown to be a multimillion-dollar market from being a category that had no independent space.

What are the trends that you expect to dominate in your sector this year?

Over the last few years, there has been a significant upscale in the sales of personal care and grooming products among male consumers. More and more modern-age gentlemen are becoming conscious of their holistic wellbeing and beauty needs. In this context, we expect hair removal, under eye, intimate hygiene, anti-ageing and colour cosmetic products will dominate the men’s grooming, personal care and beauty industry.

What are the challenges and new opportunities that you see emerging in the year ahead?

Even today, the biggest challenge that we face is a lack of awareness. In the wake of social media wellness campaigns and other initiatives, many new-age consumers have become more informed about personal care and grooming. However, more awareness and learning are still needed.

Having said that, we are proud to say that the quintessential men’s grooming industry has come a long way. Today, men are far more conscious about staying groomed and paying attention to holistic wellness. This has led to enormous growth in the men’s grooming and personal care industry, making it a multimillion-dollar market from being a category that had no independent space.

Businesses trying to create new categories need to initiate awareness campaigns, conduct experiential marketing, disseminate informative content, create innovative products and choose the right packaging.

How is this year’s turnout expected to be in this sector as compared to the last two years? How strong will the recovery be?

The pandemic has provided ample opportunities for consumers to sit back and analyse the kind of products needed for their beauty and grooming needs. This period saw a delightful rise in terms of popularity and sales of men-grooming products. From beard grooming essentials to skincare or haircare, men-focused grooming products have become a rage in the market.

This trend obviously reflected positively on our growth. We witnessed a thrilling growth in 2020 itself, followed by a 2X growth between 2020 and 2021.

What are the changes that have happened in this sector in the last two years?

One of the most significant changes that we witnessed during the pandemic was the rising rate of homemade and DIY grooming products. We also launched several premium DIY products to cater to this increasing demand. There was rapid growth in the sales of beard oil, hair gels, perfumes and face washes. Consumers also focused on buying products with zero chemical and pure natural ingredients.

This is primarily due to evolving consumer mindset from hollow beauty to holistic self-care. Also, since lockdown completely barred the outside world, most people spent time taking care of their grooming needs. This trend continues in the post-pandemic world too. Today, men are much more aware of the various benefits of personal care and grooming.

How strong will this sector’s growth be as compared to the last two years as well as the pre-Covid period? 

COVID-19 has given a chance for men to think and relook their skincare and grooming needs. For instance, during the pandemic, our self-care DIY foot kits registered a massive growth. Given that awareness surrounding grooming, personal care, and wellness is becoming mainstream every day, we believe that the industry in the post-pandemic world will reach unprecedented heights.