BEAUTY AND BARBER BLADE MARKET ANALYSIS

The beauty and barber blade market has been facing rising challenges due to increasing prices of key raw materials used in blade production. Metals like stainless steel and other alloying elements that are used to manufacture high quality blades have witnessed a significant rise in prices globally in the recent past. This spike in commodity prices has negatively impacted input costs for blade manufacturers. With margins already being razor thin in this highly competitive market, manufacturers are finding it difficult to cope with the inflationary pressure on raw material costs. Unless offset by increases in product prices or improvement in operational efficiencies, higher input costs will shrink profitability for players. To remain viable, companies may need to explore alternative lower cost raw material options or investing in cost saving technologies in production. However, that requires additional capital investments at a time when finances are already being squeezed. The issue of rising raw material costs needs to be addressed holistically by all stakeholders to ensure long term sustainability of this industry.

Market Opportunity - Emerging markets in developing countries

The beauty and barber blade market has a huge potential for growth in developing regions of the world. With rising incomes and growing middle class populations, the demand for grooming products and services is surging in countries across Asia Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. These emerging economies currently contribute a low single digit percentage to global blade sales. However, their market size is projected to expand multi-fold over the coming years as hygiene and aesthetics become more important cultural values even in small towns and rural pockets. International blade companies need to proactively devise market entry strategies for these untapped growth opportunities. Areas like building local supplier networks, developing affordable product lines, and focusing on effective distribution channel models can help accelerate market penetration. First mover advantage through right pricing, promotion and place initiatives can reap long term rewards in the form of brand loyalty and market leadership. If tapped judiciously, developing markets can open up a new growth driver phase for players in the attractively rising beauty and barber blade market space globally.