As reported by the Industrieverband Körperpflege- und Waschmittel e. V. (IKW), the industry generated sales of 16.4 billion euros in the German and international retail sector in the first half of 2024. This corresponds to an increase of 3.8 per cent compared to the first half of 2023. Consumers spent 12.3 billion euros on cosmetics and personal care products – an increase of 2.0 per cent. Sales in the laundry, home care and cleaning products (WPR) division grew by 8.3 per cent to 4.1 billion euros.

What consumers like to consume

In the German market, manufacturers were able to defy the gloomy consumer climate and increase their turnover by 7.3 per cent to 10.4 billion euros. Oral hygiene products, facial care and colour cosmetics were among the top sellers in the beauty care product range. Among WPR products, fabric softeners, heavy-duty detergents and all-purpose cleaners achieved the highest growth rates.

Exports weaken

In contrast, international business is in a slight slump, with sales of 6.0 billion euros in the first half of 2024, down 2.6 per cent on the same period of the previous year. The main reason for this is the 4.4 per cent drop in beauty care products. In contrast, household care products performed well, with export sales growing by 3.6 per cent to 1.5 billion euros.

Tense mood within the companies

Despite the largely positive sales trend, the mood within the companies is not very enthusiastic. High production costs are putting pressure on earnings, the search for suitable personnel is becoming increasingly difficult and the cost of fulfilling German and EU-wide reporting obligations is rising continuously.

Source: IKW