Gloomy conditions put a dampener on UK sun care market

According to a new report released by Companies & Markets, the UK sun care market reached a total market value of £291 million (€373m) in 2011, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1 per cent from 2010.

But the lack of Brits going abroad, coupled with little need for an excess of sun care products domestically saw value growth in the sun care market somewhat limited in 2011.

Sun bathing down, self-tanning up​

Segment wise, aftersun, self-tanning and sun protection all registered a CAGR of 1 per cent, according to the report.

Despite slow growth it was not all doom and gloom for the market. Although total sun care volume registered a 2 per cent decline, self-tanning actually registered volume growth of 3 per cent.

This was largely due to consumers choosing self-tanning products over sun bathing, and also due to poor weather conditions and fewer holidays during 2011.

Negative performance expected​

Companies & Markets says that the UK sun care market is forecast to register a -0.4 per cent constant value CAGR through to 2016.

Market growth is set to be driven by the increasingly popular and growing range of premium sun care on offer, but in volume terms these products are not expected to grow greatly.

All segments across the UK sun care market are expected to show negative performances over the forecast period due to continued poor summer forecast. As a result, companies are undertaking research for releasing sun care products with additional benefits.

In 2011 L'Oréal (UK) continued to dominate the UK sun care market, owning a quarter of value share. Garnier Ambre Solaire was the largest brand, accounting for 23 per cent of overall category value.