The Health & Beauty Shopper Is Changing Fast… Are Brands Keeping Up?
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South Africa’s health and beauty market is exploding with new shopper behaviours and the brands that don’t adapt risk losing relevance fast. Gugulethu Mfuphi speaks to Andrea Slabber, Insights Lead at Trade Intelligence, to unpack the findings of their latest Health & Beauty Shopper Report a deep dive into what’s driving growth, where shoppers are shifting, and why private label is becoming a real competitive threat.
Personal care continues to lead the charge, with body skin care, deodorants and feminine care delivering strong momentum. On the healthcare side, everyday essentials like pain relief and cold/cough treatments are outperforming the broader market confirming that wellness and self-care habits are becoming more non-negotiable for South Africans.
But the biggest shake-up? Private label dominance. Clicks has hit a massive 31% private-brand contribution, with its own-label personal care range surging over 20%. Retailers aren’t just selling products they’re shaping the entire path to purchase. A remarkable 89% of healthcare shoppers research online before buying, and among 18–24-year-olds that number shoots up to 98%. That means retailers now influence the decision long before a brand even makes it onto the shopping list.
Personal care continues to lead the charge, with body skin care, deodorants and feminine care delivering strong momentum. On the healthcare side, everyday essentials like pain relief and cold/cough treatments are outperforming the broader market confirming that wellness and self-care habits are becoming more non-negotiable for South Africans.
But the biggest shake-up? Private label dominance. Clicks has hit a massive 31% private-brand contribution, with its own-label personal care range surging over 20%. Retailers aren’t just selling products they’re shaping the entire path to purchase. A remarkable 89% of healthcare shoppers research online before buying, and among 18–24-year-olds that number shoots up to 98%. That means retailers now influence the decision long before a brand even makes it onto the shopping list.
