Superdrug, the leading accessible health and beauty retailer, has delivered a strong Christmas trading period with total sales up 9.2% in the four weeks to 30 December and LFL sales up 7.1%. The retailer’s continued focus on O+O (Offline plus Online) and investment in providing high performance products at an affordable price was a significant driver of growth, alongside an uptake of members only deals amongst loyal Health & Beautycard customers, as they continued to battle the cost-of-living and inflation in the run up to Christmas.
Sales of Own Brand products were up 10% year-on-year as more customers switched to great quality products at an affordable price. The retailer’s cosmetics range, Studio London, is the fastest growing and biggest Own Brand range and has contributed to Superdrug achieving 20% year-on-year category growth in Cosmetics and 9.1% volume growth in December, as customers prepared for the party season. Superdrug now holds 40% market share of mass market cosmetics, their highest market share in 10 years. The Studio London 8-piece brush set was the number one selling product across own brand sales, with sales of the Studio London eyeshadow palettes also peaking over Christmas as they made the perfect stocking filler, with the palette range recently expanded through a partnership with beauty broadcaster Ateh Jewel.
In the peak trading weeks leading up to Christmas, three own brand gift sets were sold every second and three fragrance sets were sold every minute, with customers loving the scents of Ariana Grande, Versace Eros Flame and CK Euphoria. However, traditional gifting wasn’t the only winner, as oral care also flew off the shelves, proving that oral electricals remain a popular gift choice. The category hero was the Superdrug ProCare Water Flosser, which landed on shelves in quarter three and went on to sell more than three times the number of units than its branded counterpart had sold all year. The flosser also sold-out online and in-store numerous times during the Black Friday sales period.
Superdrug has invested heavily in the expansion of Beauty Studio services, with December seeing the launch of the latest studio in Jersey. December also marked the milestone of the 500th piercing store, with piercing continuing to prove the most popular service, up 54% in December vs 2022, solidifying Superdrug’s position as the number one on the high street for piercing via locations. Beauty Studio also recorded one of its biggest sales months in December, with sales up 20% vs the same period last year.
The golden quarter saw online app sales up 74% year-on-year and 127,000 new registrations for the Health & Beautycard, with total membership reaching 18.1 million thanks to the launch of VIP Rewards, which sees Health & Beautycard members being rewarded for spend on top of Superdrug’s already great everyday offers.
Superdrug CEO, Peter Macnab commented: “We are exceptionally pleased to be reporting strong Christmas results and appreciate our customers continued support. We understand the pressures customers are currently facing and are committed to supporting them and offering the very best in accessible health and beauty. The strong sales growth in Own Brand really demonstrates that customers are seeking quality products from a brand that they can trust, at an affordable price. Our continued investment in to expanding the store estate and digital services, as well as in innovation, remain imperative and has helped contribute to an increase in sales throughout the December period. I’d like to thank my colleagues for all of their hard work in bringing such a fantastic and competitive offering to shoppers and for their contribution to these results.”
Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK, said: “The lipstick effect is still driving growth in health and beauty, as consumers look to treat themselves to little luxuries despite a squeeze on household budgets. Despite the cost of living, the majority of consumers* don’t plan to cut back on health and beauty, they are instead opting for cheaper own brand products to get their beauty fix.
“Interestingly, women are more likely to trade down to an own brand product** as men opt for the premium end of the health and beauty market.”
*A survey of 1,000 consumers conducted on behalf of RSM UK showed that only 18% plan to cut back on health and beauty products; and 22% of consumers would trade down to an own brand product – highlighting the overall strength of the category in the UK.
**Men appear to be more focused on the branded or premium end of the health and beauty market with only 14% trading down to own-brand products in the category compared to 29% of women.
