Italy Bath and Shower Market Overview, 2029

Italy Bath and Shower Market Overview, 2029

The Italian market for baths and showers has been in existence since the time of ancient Rome, where bathing was a lavish affair. Although the Romans helped to popularize social bathing by adding natural oils and perfumes to their bathing rituals, this set up the foundation for Italy's reputation as the better provider of skincare and bathing products. With the passing of the centuries, the art of soap-making and skincare continued to thrive during the Renaissance, making Italy dominate in the cosmetics field. For instance, in the World Health Organization's recorded data on 23 October 2020 from March to October, intervention in the government and humanitarian sectors affected over 50,250 people through proper hand washing and proper personal hygiene with the intervention. Companies are investing in research and development to create innovative formulations that incorporate state-of-the-art ingredients such as probiotics, peptides, and botanical extracts. These products specifically address concerns related to the skin and improve the effectiveness of the product. More and more innovations are impacting water usage and generating fewer wastes through product formulation. The movement gaining popularity is the waterless products-including the proportion of mainstreaming solid shampoos and body bars- because of its environmental implications. Personal care subscription boxes are a pretty new innovation, providing convenience in discovering new products from the preferences of their consumers in order to perpetuate loyalty for the brand.

According to the research report “Italy Bath and Shower Products Market Overview, 2029,"" published by Bonafide Research, the Italy Bath and Shower Products market is anticipated to add to more than USD 300 Million by 2024–29. As trends in emotional well-being and self-care continue to dominate thought processes, even product offerings change. Brands now create products that elicit feelings of relaxation and escape-a sense stimulated through bath oils, say, or calming shower gels. It is saturated, with competition intensified in the Italian market. The already existing brands struggle to find niches between the long list of alternatives. Stricter regulations will limit some of the small firms. High costs incurred in ensuring compliance with safety standards and gaining appropriate certificates have kept some away from entering the market. Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) outlines registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemicals in products. It impacts bath and shower product usage, especially in material terms. Speed is demanded by evolving consumer tastes and preferences through brands. If companies do not gear up for this change, they will lose the place in business. Economic factors-the fluctuations in currency and trade policies are affecting the import-export balance of products like bath and shower products, thus enhancing growth. Consumers prefer more organic and natural products. Consumers are now moving more toward brands that focus on sustainability and eco-friendly formulas. Consumers are gradually shifting to healthier lifestyles worldwide, and this happens to be a great opportunity for this trend. Luxury bath products and customized lines are dominating the market. Consumers are focusing on unique experiences according to their preference, leading brands to innovate with custom formulation and unique scent profiles. The e-commerce and social media platforms have changed the way the consumer discovers and purchases bath products. Brands reach out to the online space and engage them for the feel-around feeling about their products.

The segment bath and shower in Italy is relatively diversified, with a strong leading position for bath soaps. Among the various reasons for such a leading position of bath soaps could be listed the cultural preferences of Italian society for traditional methods of cleansing and consumer perception about bar soaps in Italy as a good, genuine hygiene product. Italian consumers are mainly biased towards big brands that they trust; hence, personal care products were restricted to a large extent from the private label category. Bathroom soaps can be considered to be a staple in personal care that can form part of daily routines; hence, their consumption has been sustained over the years. The other main segment is body wash and shower gels. The product offers the consumer the experience of convenience and modernity. These generally contain moisturizing properties and fragrances, which add to the bathing experience. Premium and natural formulations are also supporting the body wash market with quality over low price. Therefore, the popularity for bath additives such as bath oils and salts is increasing by how to be able to recreate that spa experience at home. Added to this is a growing concern with self-care and relaxation which post-pandemic has heightened awareness of personal wellness.

The Italian market for bath and shower products can be segmented broadly into three categories such as solids, liquids, and gel/jellies. Liquid products-they include shower gels, body washes, and other variants-have been the favorite of consumers. They are easy to carry, come in various scents, and help consumers achieve a fresh bathing experience. Italy dominates the bath and shower market have several significant factors. These are as follows, preference for quality and brand reputation among the Italian consumer. The Italian consumer is a savvy shopper who, more often than not, shops based on long-standing reputation and the quality of ingredients and formulation in products. Since this trend has thus far ensured indulgence in personal care, it has fastened the culture toward products not only cleaning but also providing a sensory experience. The hygiene awareness has further increased, especially in times of a pandemic, and played a big role in purchases. Consumers are now more worried about how effective cleansing solutions are, and this has led to the effective demand for bath and shower products promising to clean as well as care for the skin at one go. Although liquid products lead, solid products, such as bar soaps, continue to be popular because of traditional appeal and environmental attributes. Consumers do appreciate the basic simplicity and sustainability of the solid soaps, which for one, usually have minimal packaging. The gel/jellies segment is gaining further momentum as brands innovate to create formulations offering moisturizing benefits, aside from cleansing properties. These are likely to be of interest particularly for consumers who prefer gentle yet effective options for their bathing routine.

Italian bath and shower products market has a very diversified landscape of distribution, in which supermarkets/hypermarkets top the list followed by convenience stores, online stores, and others. Specifically, supermarkets are highly preferred as a channel for the above products' distribution, primarily due to the fact that they offer a large variety of products at competitive prices under one roof. This channel allows consumers to purchase even household products in volume, and thus they benefit from economies of scale for massive packages of shower gels and bar soaps. Furthermore, supermarket mass shopping is better aligned with Italian shoppers' preference for big-brand names, which are perceived by them as superior in quality compared with private labels. Convenience stores similarly benefit, as consumers shop for quick buys. Because of their locational advantage, the door-to-door sale of products becomes a challenge, and consumers opt for these for last-minute purchases or lesser quantities of baths. They do face challenges from health and personal care stores that are emerging market participants offering niche products to health-conscious consumers. The online segment is growing rapidly with increased e-commerce penetration and comfort it offers. Consumers are moving to brand-specific websites and platforms that offer easy access to purchase options and simplified payment options. This trend will only increase as more consumers rely on online purchasing for personal care items. Other distribution channels aside from the identified major ones include specialty retail stores as well as pharmacies, which provide niche products or specific requirements. The final segments further increase market diversity but make little contribution to sales compared to the prior identified channels.

In the feminine segment, Italian consumers tend to get more attracted to such products which not only cleanse but also make them feel good. Luxurious formulations are increasingly sought, and women choose shower gels, body washes, and bath oils that contain natural ingredients such as essential oils, botanical extracts, and vitamins. Brands are capitalizing on this trend as they are offering products that create promise of hydration and rejuvenation with a sensory experience which turns the mundane into everyday moments of indulgence. Specialty products, such as exfoliating scrubs and moisturizing body washes, that target specific skin concerns are also in higher demand. The trend of personalization also largely impacts; women will look for whatever product is made based on their type of skin and personal preferences. Consequently, niche brands, or rather artisanal brands, that offer organic products have emerged for consumers who care more about sustainability and the ethical sourcing of products. A manly segment is witnessing its fair share of revolution in the wake of changing norm sets for societal allegiance towards male grooming. Italian men are becoming increasingly conscious regarding their personal care routine, such that demand has cropped up for high-quality bath and shower product offerings. Thereby, companies have discovered niche offerings that offer relief in the realm of oil control, hydration, and refreshing scents. The new and advanced men's grooming products will have a strong fragrance and functional benefits such as energizing properties to fit into active lifestyles. Especially popular shower gels, on the other hand, feature invigorating ingredients such as menthol or citrus extracts, which are very refreshing. Furthermore, there is also an increasing popularity of multi-purpose products that combine cleansing with skincare benefits, a 2-in-1 body wash that serves as shampoo and body wash.


Considered in this report
• Historic year: 2018
• Base year: 2023
• Estimated year: 2024
• Forecast year: 2029

Aspects covered in this report
• Bath & Shower market Outlook with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Activity
• By Product Type
• Bath Soaps
• Body Wash/Shower Gel
• Bath Additives

By Form
• Solids
• Liquids
• Gel/Jellies

By Distribution Channel
• Supermarkets
• Convenience Stores
• Online Stores
• Others

By End User
• Women
• Men

The approach of the report:
This report consists of a combined approach of primary and secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list the companies that are present in it. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual reports of companies, and government-generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources, primary research was conducted by conducting telephone interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducting trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this; we have started making primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting them in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us, we can start verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

The approach of the report:
This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations, and organizations related to the Bath & Shower industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing and presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.