Licensed children's skin care products poised for rebound

Drug Store News, August 18, 2008 by Antoinette Alexander

NEW YORK -- The U.S. market for children's licensed personal care products has experienced a double-digit drop from 2006, but is poised for a rebound due in part to an increasing children's population, according to a recent research report by Packaged Facts.

According to the report, titled "Market Trend: Licensed Kids' Personal Care Products Market," the U.S. market for children's personal care hit $293 million in 2007. This marks a 39 percent drop from the 2006 level of $477 million.

The market spans everything from adhesive strips to shampoo to lip gloss designed for children ages 3 to 11 years old.

Packaged Facts predicted that marketers will expand on current battery-based offerings, such as the Turbo Tunes Toothbrush from Hasbro, with such new technologies as bubble makers with gel inserts, massaging scrubbers that play music and shower head attachments that combine color, fragrance and flashing lights.

"Additional factors to growth include a larger customer base due to an increasing kids population, kids controlling more of their own purchases and kids maturing faster than previous generations and who are open to a wider range of personal care categories," stated Tatjana Meerman, publisher of Packaged Facts.

ANTOINETTE ALEXANDER

SENIOR EDITOR