Premium line products are becoming big business in the US, and Dove’s launch responds to a widespread increase in consumer demand for high end products.
The ‘Expert Shave Range’ introduces five new shaving products to their current male grooming range, which focus variously on the three stages of before, during and after shaving.
HSBC luxury-goods analyst Antoine Belge observed this trend dominating in the US during 2013.
"Trends in luxury consumption in the US have continued to outperform overall consumer trends," he said.
The luxury goods trade overall was projected a particularly healthy growth in the US for 2013, of a 4% increase on 2012, outstripping that even of China (2.5%), according to a recent Bain study.
Male grooming on the rise
The launch also taps into another sector on the rise, participating in a 70% global increase over the past six years in the number of personal care launches specifically targeted at men.
A recent Moeglin report observed that the market had risen 12% between 2007 and 2012. Mintel expects that this market will grow by an additional 13% during 2013-18, achieving sales of $4.4 billion in 2018.
High-end male grooming products look set to make the most of marrying these two rising trends.
A new direction?
Perhaps keen to downplay the new brand direction into luxury goods, Dove emphasizes it’s keen to stick with its main brand identity: a focus on moisturization.
“Only shave creams, not traditional shave gels or foams, because cream formulas have the ability to provide higher levels of moisturization”, the company said in statement.
Matt Kuznitz, Unilever Scientist who lead development of the range, confirmed this: “The two shave creams in Dove Men+Care Expert Shave contain high levels of moisturizing ingredients that are clinically proven to offer superior moisturization compared to competitor shave products on the market”.