The sunscreen market - Italy

1.1 Definition and scope of study

Sunscreen refers to a cream or lotion that is applied on the skin to provide UV protections to the user. In more recent years this has been mixed with bronzing and/or hydrating products.

‘Body care’ makes up the second-biggest expense for Italian families (16.3%), and naturally sunscreen (and pigmentation products) falls under this umbrella, taking first place with a little less than 26% of the share. This market has been steadily increasing for the past decade, with a 9.8% average growth). In the year ending with September 2020 the growth was 2.8% and an increase in volume of 3.6% with a total of over 11.5 million units sold. This trend came to a halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic (only products with certified UV protection). Forecasts for 2020 demonstrated an expected fall of 8%. Being a highly seasonal purchase, this market is expected to increase by 2% in 2021. In the peninsula, sunscreen and sun lotions make up more than 99% of this market, with bronzers and lip care making up the rest [Cosmetica].

Italy is a strong exporter of skin care products, reaching €900 million in 2018 (+9.5%), naturally sunscreen products make up an important part of this. On the national territory there are over 22,000 firms involved in the production, sale and bulk resale of sun-care products. According to figures from the Milan Chamber of Commerce there are 3.251 firms in Lombardy involved in this business. There are over 1809 in Rome and 1729 in Naples.

The sunscreen market is projected to grow, particularly considering increased UV levels in the atmosphere presented by climate change challenges. In the past 5 years in Europe 5.000 patents have been presented for sun-care related products. Over 26.000 collaborators work on this (researchers, biologists, chemists, toxicologists, doctors), in tens of centres across the continent. R&D investment in Italy tops 7% of revenue per annum. Recent tendencies in bio-conservation, organic products and recycled containers appear to keep this market stable and growing [WildItaly].

1.2 A Growing Global Market

Forecast of the value of the sunscreen market World, ****-****, in billion USD Source: ****

In ****, the world market was estimated to be worth *.** billion USD. It is a very dynamic and fast-growing market, driven upwards by increasingly sustained global demand.

This is due to the fact that individuals are increasingly aware ...

1.3 The Italian Market

The growth in the consumption of body products in Italy has been almost flat between **** and ****, +*.*%, and affected the overall trend of the market in **** with **.*% of total consumption, representing the second most important family of the Italian cosmetics market, after skincare.

The first category within the body products subcategory is ...

1.4 Imports and Exports

In order to analyze the trade balance of Italy for the sunscreen market we are going to use the HS commodity code ******: Cosmetic and toilet preparations, for the case of the skin (***).

Imports, Exports and Coverage Rate for HS Code ****** Italy, ****-****, in million USD and % Source: ****

From the graph above, ...

1.5 COVID-19 Impact

The most immediate and direct effect of the COVID-** pandemic on consumption of sunscreen and sun care product has been that of diminishing demand in the first phase of the county's lockdown, during which, being forced to stay in their homes, Italians needed less protection against the damaging effect of ...

2.1 Demand Characteristics

**% of Italians use sunscreen while the remaining **% do not. Of the first, **% are women. These percentages make sunscreens one of the personal care products mostly used in Italy [***].

In general, women are more diligent: they apply sunscreens more often (***) use facial sunscreens year-round or nearly.

Nearly one in three people believe ...

2.2 Demand Drivers

Most Italians, as we have mentioned, use sunscreen mainly when they expose themselves directly to the sun. That is, when they lie down in the sun with the intention of getting a tan. With respect to this, an important demand driver is the percentage of Italians who expose themselves to the ...

2.3 Consumer Profile and Consumption Habits

Generation

A survey conducted by OnePoll for eDreams, involving **,*** people from Italy, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, the United States, Sweden and Germany, revealed the habits of sunbathing in these countries [***]. 

On the Italian front, the generational comparison shows a picture of the population of vacationers who are not very ...

2.4 New Trends in Demand and Seasonality

Italians are getting more and more aware of the damage that UV rays can have on their skin: this is why so many people choose to wear sunscreen all year round and above all never to expose themselves to direct sunlight or at least to do so at limited times and ...

3.1 Market Structure and Dynamics

There are about ** thousand companies in Italy related to the cosmetics sector, between production, wholesale and retail, of which *,*** in Lombardy, +*.*% in **** in the face of a slowdown in the sector at the national level, according to data processed by the Chamber of Commerce on the business register. In Milan there ...

3.2 Production Process and Product Composition

Production of Sunscreen

The production process of a sunscreen can be long and costly, as the development of a new product can take up to ** years, and require * years of research for *** trials

This is due to the difficulty of finding the right balance between the various components, often numerous, in ...

3.3 Distribution Channels

 Among the traditional distribution channels, the ones through which sunscreen and sun care products are sold are:

Pharmacies Perfume Shops Large-scalre retail shops and other channels

Pharmacies dominate this sector as **.*% of the sales of the sector are done through this distribution channel, followed by Large-scale retail shops (***) [***].

Breakdown of sunscreen ...

4.1 Offer Typology

Sunscreen products are cosmetic products designed and used to protect the skin from the action of sunlight. The market offers a surprising variety of sunscreen products suitable for the most varied needs and capable of responding to the tastes of each individual.

Types of Solar Formulations

Sun Oils: Solar oils can ...

4.2 Pricing

To have a complete overview of the pricing in this market, it is necessary to distinguish between different types of sunscreens:

The sunscreens chosen for the analysis are the best sellers and best reviewed on the marketplace  Amazon in ****.

From the table above, it is clearly visible how organic and children ...

4.3 Innovation as a Key Success Factor

In Italy, more than *% of turnover of sunscreen products is spent each year on research and innovation. In general, all over Europe in five years there have been more than * thousand patents presented, with more than ** thousand researchers, biologists, chemists, physicists, doctors and toxicologists. There are more than ** centers working on ...

5.1 The European Cosmetics Regulation

Sunscreen products, like all cosmetics, are regulated by the European Cosmetics Regulation. This Regulation, however, is not the only regulatory reference. In ****, in fact, the European Commission published a "Recommendation on the efficacy of sunscreen products and related claims" with the aim of clarifying this field and simplifying consumer choices by ...

6.1 Segmentation

• La Roche-Posay
• Vichy
• Eau Thermale d'Avène (Pierre Fabre Groupe)
• Piz Buin
• Hawaiian Tropic
• Australian Gold
• MyKAY
• Suntribe Sunscreen
• Bionike