While still one of the most frequently purchased personal items, the purchase frequency of body wash has reduced year-on-year. Now just over 6 in 10 (62%) adults claim to purchase body wash once a month or more often (down from 68% in 2018), with almost a quarter (24%) buying once every 2-3 weeks, down from 32% in 2018.
This research, conducted on behalf of Retail Intelligence by Empathy Research, amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,012 adults aged 18+, sought to understand purchase behaviour in this category and which aspects are most important to consumers when purchasing.
Most Likely Purchase Point
Supermarkets continue to be the most likely purchase point for those buying body wash once a month or more often, however incidence levels have dropped back marginally year-on-year with 79% purchasing through this channel, down from 81%.
This purchase incidence is primarily driven by purchases in Tesco (40%) and Dunnes Stores (27%). Boots is the most likely purchase destination outside of grocery retailers with almost 3 in 10 (28%) of monthly plus buyers, purchasing in Boots, up from 25% in 2018.
There has been little change evident in terms of purchase behaviour amongst those who buy body wash from supermarkets, with just 8% of those who have purchased from a supermarket claiming to be purchasing more body wash here than they were this time last year (7% in 2018).
Of those who have increased their purchase in supermarkets year-on-year, being more convenient to purchase while doing grocery shopping (54%) is a big driver in this behaviour, with special offers (44% from 38%) in supermarkets playing more of a role this year.
Quality Deemed Important
In terms of overall importance when purchasing body wash, there are two aspects which are deemed of primary importance to buyers. The quality of the product is deemed important, with almost 7 in 10 (65% up from 58%) claiming this is the case, while nearly 6 in 10 (57%) claim special offers are important (55% in 2018).
There continues to be quite limited brand loyalty in this category, with just over a quarter (27%) claiming to be loyal to the brand they buy most often, unchanged year-on-year.
For further information and more in-depth analysis on consumer behaviour when it comes to purchasing body wash and other personal care products, please contact Robbie Clarke at Empathy Research.
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