Metrosexuals, Menaissance and Moisturisers, oh my!

It's possible that men haven't gotten the credit crunch memo yet--for the last two years, men's toiletries have been the fastest growing category in the UK's health and beauty market. The category is expected to remain strong for 2009, although growth may slow once men catch on to the current economic downturn.

For years, cosmetics and beauty companies focused their efforts almost entirely on women, leaving men out in the dry, chapped-skin cold. But in recent years, products created and marketed specifically for men have hit the shelves. A revolution has taken place and television programmes like Extreme Male Beauty, 10 Years Younger and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy have spread the battle call: moisturise, moisturise, moisturise.

And now for the second year in a row this is being reflected in sales at the till. The value of the male toiletries market is over £1bn, and in addition to being the fastest growing category, is outselling more traditional products like dental care. [1] Shaving, a traditional stronghold for male toiletries continues to be the main driver for the category followed by fragrances and deodorants, although other less obvious products like "manscera" and male makeup are also included. [2] Male skincare products are also popular, with brands including L'Oreal, Nivea and Boots selling anti-aging, anti-shine and anti-fatigue moisturisers, balms and washes targeted specifically to men.

But although man beauty products are on the rise, all is not well in the world of men's toiletries. Last year The Telegraph reported a backlash, calling the rise of men eschewing the idea of male grooming and protesting the media's push to turn them all into "waxed and coiffed metrosexuals" a "menaissance". [3] And while male health and beauty shoppers are on the rise, they still only represent a small percentage of shoppers and overall sales with just under 60% of British men over age 15 regularly shopping for personal care products. [1]

This is, however, one of the largest opportunities for retailers today. Persuading women to purchase more men's products and targeting men in retail environments that they feel more comfortable in, such as grocery stores and petrol stations, can help to keep the male beauty momentum going. All of the data suggests that the age of male beauty has not yet peaked, so retailers should be prepared to keep the moisturiser on tap.

[1] "UK Health & Beauty Retailers 2009: Resilient and Recession Proof..." Verdict June 2009
[2]"Sector Insight: Men's toiletries - Skincare leads the way" Jane Bainbridge, Marketing, 22 July 2008
[3] "Modern men feel emasculated, study claims", Sarah Womack, The Telegraph, 26 March 2008

Lina Goldberg, UK Retail Team

Survival of the Fastest

Have you had a chance to check out Survival of the Fastest yet? It's the UK's first business advice channel on YouTube, launched in partnership with the Daily Telegraph and London Business School. Below you can find some of the most recent retail additions to the channel.

Bob Thacker - SVP, Marketing & Advertising - OfficeMax "The art of experimentation online"

Hugh Murphy - Head of eBusiness, UK & Ireland - 3M "Linking marketing metrics to your corporate strategy"

Will King - Founder - King of Shaves "Having faith in your brand during a recession"




Posted by Lina Goldberg, UK Retail Team

How User Friendly is Your Website?

Usability is now recognised as a vital element of eCommerce retailers’ online strategy. Today, even the most ardent sceptic would agree that when users arrive at your website they have to be able to easily use and understand its content. Otherwise, they’re likely to regard your site as a waste of their time and you could feel that the effort you spent promoting it via search engine optimisation, AdWords or other is a waste of yours.

What’s surprising perhaps is the number of websites that still suffer from the all too routine problems of inefficient site structure, poor functionality and general navigational faults. User expectation is typically high whereas their tolerance is extremely low. Its worth weighing up not just what these problems might cost in terms of lost conversions but the detrimental brand impact disgruntled customers’ negative word of mouth can have via chat rooms or social networks.

Fine tuning your site should be a priority and currently there are more than enough companies who claim authority when it comes to delivering these services. Arguably, any starting point should be to consider website loading time. When it comes to retaining user interest and engagement from the outset speed is of the essence. Site Navigation is another key lever, with the abiding three principles being to keep it simple, intuitive and relevant.

During an IMRG Usability Workshop earlier this month they focused on some of the most effective rich media elements eCommerce sites can feature to increase usability and boost conversion. These included perhaps more obvious techniques like lifestyle imagery and providing a zoom on images, along with alternative product images and incorporating social shopping and user ratings.

A website that was identified for special honours in interactivity was Philips for its simplicity and ease of use when making multiple product comparisons across their range of lines and models.

One rich media element that’s of rising interest and importance is video and interactive video. Apparel retailers such as ASOS already include a video catwalk to give a more realistic portrayal of customers’ potential fashion purchases. Certainly one of the newest and best examples of interactive video comes from across the pond courtesy of department store JCPenny. The launch of their interactive, fully-integrated, virtual runway show allows full 360 degree views of models in "head-to-toe" looks.

For eCommerce retailers starting to consider their site’s usability and how it might relate to their web analytics reports for bounce rate and shopping cart abandonment, Google Website optimizer offers free website and optimization tools replete with a/b and multivariate testing. More details can be found by visiting the official Website Optimiser site or see last month's post on retailer Shuh to read about it in action.

Overall, website usability still might be one of the last things to get embedded in the processes and working culture of some eCommerce retailers. More than ever though, appreciating your website from the end user's point of view is essential for delivering conversion, customer loyalty and satisfaction. It also embraces innovation with usability now driving some of the latest and best ideas and developments to be found on the net.

Posted by Brendan Patterson, Google Retail Team

Introducing the Google Conversion Professionals

Inspired by our last post about analysing your website to generate more sales but not sure if you're ready to go it alone?

Last week we launched the Google Conversion Professionals programme, a network of conversion experts that can help you grow your business by implementing best practices around website analysis and testing.

Google Conversion Professionals (GCPs) are specialist consultancies or agencies who have demonstrated their expertise in improving conversion rates. GCPs can help you expand your business and get the most out of your online spend by implementing best practices around website analysis and testing.

Typically, GCPs help boost conversions by improving marketing effectiveness, website usability, and product and service offerings. Some also offer platform hosting and systems integration capability.

We've found that continuous analysis and improvement is key to have the best possible online sales and ROI. Google offers a number of free programs to help you, like Google Analytics and Website Optimiser as well as tips to help improve your performance.

If you are looking for some expert advice or need a little help getting started, please visit the Google Conversion Professionals.

Posted by Lina Goldberg, Retail Team