Consumer product brand Henkel will now be selling it’s hair colour brand Schwarzkopf directly to consumers. The German major, whose hair colourant was previously available only in the professional salon segment, is also looking to launch other hair care products in the B2C segment.
Kartik Kaushik, Country Head-Henkel Consumer Brands, India and South Asia Export Markets said that Schwarzkopf Professional’s growth trajectory in India has been very strong. “India is one of the fastest growing markets in the Asia-Pacific region for the company in terms of the professional hair care segment. We now see strong potenial in the at-home segment, too. We are looking to garner a share of 20 per cent in the premium segment by 2025,” he said.
With at-home and DIY beauty solutions gaining traction post the pandemic, the company expects to win a larger consumer base with this foray.
Tapping potential
The Indian hair colourant segment is pegged in the range of ₹5,000- 6,000 crore and expected to grow at 17 .5 per cent CAGR till 2026, as per some estimates. About 40 per cent of this market accounts for creme-based hair colour products and Henkel is eyeing about 20 per cent market share of this segment by 2025, he explained.
On its distribution strategy, Kaushik said, “We have created a separate vertical to build the B2C distribution network across general trade and modern trade stores. We have a laser sharp distribution strategy with a key focus on premium general trade and modern trade outles. Initally, we will focus on strengthening distribution in the top 20-25 cities and gradually expand it further.”
Two products
The consumer products company is launching its home hair colour solutions across two ranges. This include Colour Specialist priced at ₹675 and the Simply Color range priced at ₹725. The products are available across e-commerce marketplaces besides stores.
“Our hair care portfolio is a key strength for the company. In the professional segment we already have a full range of hair care products. So we will also look at expanding our home hair-care portfolio beyond hair colourants. Hair styling, for instance, has emerged as fast-growing segment in the past two years, “ Kaushik stated.