by Tara Kaifesh, category analyst, part of Monthly Retailer Category Tips
Sun care isn’t just for summer, it’s a necessity all year. Update your department with a focus on educating your customers of the importance of year-round sun protection.
Want to encourage add-on sales in your sun care department and boost your profits? Check out HRG’s Ideas for Cross-selling Merchandise: Sun Care infographic for our analysts’ insights on product types from other departments that would encourage impulse purchases. If you have room available, try adding these item types to build your shoppers’ baskets.
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends that everyone use sunscreen that offers the following:
- Broad-spectrum protection (protects against UVA and UVB rays)
- SPF 30 or higher
- Water resistance
The website goes on to emphasize that “a sunscreen that offers the above helps to protect your skin from sunburn, early skin aging,1,2 and skin cancer.” It also warns to “use extra caution near water, snow, and
sand as they reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of sunburn,3” solidifying that SPF protection is just as important in winter as it is in summer. In fact, the AAD states that sunscreen should be applied every day on skin not covered by clothing if one is going to be outside. Thus, you can promote the importance of wearing sunscreen all year round, and can include it in a “Winter Care” endcap that includes lip balm (with SPF), hand creams, cough suppressants and other cold & flu treatments, as well as general merchandise items, such as tissue, hand warmers, candles, and more. Lip balm with SPF is also a great item to display on your checkout counter to encourage impulse sales.
Innovations in the sun care category noted by retail data company, evidnt:
- Mineral and reef-safe sunscreens now account for over half of category revenue, as consumers become more eco-aware.
- Format innovation (sticks, mists, serums) is expanding share by making protection easier and more consistent.
- Dermocosmetic positioning is aligning the category with clean-beauty and skin-health consumers seeking non-toxic, fragrance-free solutions.
As you know, new products drive traffic and sales. Look for sun care product launches that capitalize on the features outlined above to bring in and promote these key innovations to your shoppers in-store and on your online channels.
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Hughes MC, Williams GC, Baker P, Green AC; Sunscreen and Prevention of Skin Aging, a Randomized Trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2013;158(11):781-790.
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Guan LL, Lim HW, Mohammad TF. Sunscreens and Photoaging: A Review of Current Literature. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2021;22(6):819-828. doi:10.1007/s40257-021-00632-5
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Global Solar UV Index. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9241590076.