Mintel: “Buying British” dwindles as Brazilian beauty fuelled by World Cup
Hair and sun care are expected to be especially important sectors for international rivals, with many British customers willing to pay more for the benefits of traditional Brazilian products.
The report also reveals that internationalism is likely to become more important following the patriotic fever of the World Cup, with “patriotic purchasing” not as relevant as often suggested by UK politicians.
Mintel’s senior trends consultant Richard Cope commented: “After a period of Brand Britannia fever, driven by Olympic medals, Royal weddings and births, in 2014 it will time for British consumers to look outward to other countries.”
“Mitel’s research highlights that Brits are open, curious and savvy when it comes to buying into new, engaging or better value products from abroad.”
“Club Tropicalia”
One of the key consumer trends for 2014 identified by Cope is the rise of Brazil as a major cultural force in the UK, with the upcoming World Cup expected to focus attention on the country’s brands and services.
This creates an opportunity for Brazilian cosmetics brands to dominate the summer market by capitalizing on their traditional virtues. The company’s research shows that many British consumers are very open to the benefits of Brazilian products designed for ‘good weather’.
Around 12% of British consumers are interested in self-tanning products with a low SPF, while 39% use or would useones which promote a “holiday glow.” In addition, nearly 20% of haircare users were willing to pay more for products which provide straightening or smoothing benefits.
Cope commented: “The World Cup is going to make the world fall in love with all things Brazilian…This time around the showcase of Brazilian commercial cultural exports will encompass everything from food to fashion to beauty products.”
Changing notions of Britishness
Mintel’s research reveals that despite the patriotic fervor of the past few years, the ‘Buy British’ trend is still not as influential as commonly believed, with half of all customers agreeing that price matters more than if a product is British.
Further stats reveal that a third of consumers do not feel any loyalty to British products at all, and that half of all those questioned were just as interested in buying quality products from other countries.
Cope further suggested that factors such as simplified procedures for Chinese immigrants to enter the country are likely to change notions of what it means to be British in the near future, particularly with this legislation for entry changing next year.
The analyst commented: “Mintel’s research finds that in spite of recent events, ‘patriotic purchasing’ remains something of a myth… New legislation in 2014 will also raise the foreign influx and influence in the UK, piquing our curiosity in other cultures and causing us to re-examine notions of ‘Britishness.’”
