UK's love of beards continues to grow

Sales of products that care for men's beards has risen by a whopping 226% in the last three years and are now worth almost £5 million in UK sales.

The UK's love of bearded yet well-groomed men shows no signs of slowing down, adding over £1 million per year to the bottom line of men's grooming product sales over since 2015, according to analysis from IRI.

Beard care is up both in value and volume, whilst sales of disposable razors are down 9% in value sales in recent years, losing over £5 million.

Chloe Humphrey-Page, Head of Health & Beauty Retail Insight Solutions, IRI, says:

“Beards are growing, literally. If you thought the beardy trend was going away, then think again. It's never been more popular and the Royal Wedding will only add to this popularity. Prince Harry's decision to marry in uniform with a beard was widely reported on and shows even the Royals are embracing the beard in all its glory.

“Notably, beards are much neater, well-kept and are worn with pride – and this explains the increase in sales for products like beard oils and beard care in general. Manufacturers and retailers are embracing this opportunity, innovating with natural ingredients, like Jojoba and Coconut oil, and focusing on the benefits around improving texture, appearance and moisture. Where men are buying shaving products, they are choosing combination or system packs, suggesting better value for money and fewer shopping trips.”

IRI attribute some of the decline in razor sales to men favouring combination packs and ‘system' razors, which are more expensive than disposables, but were worth £177 million in value sales.

The analysis also shows that sales of men's deodorants and body sprays are down 7% in the last three years yet still worth an overall £245 million, whilst men's fragrances are down by 24% and men's skin products are down 7%. Shower products saw a 4% rise, and are now worth £56 million.