While health and beauty products aimed at women are still generating significantly more cash than those which target male consumers, the gap between these two market segments is closing fast and 2020 will be the biggest year for men’s health products so far.
Here is a look at the scope of the industry at the moment and what trends and pressures are being applied to it in the current era of ever-evolving masculinity.
Sexual health is a defining factor
While products aimed at improving the sex lives of men were taboo for decades, today there is far more openness surrounding this topic and thus more demand and enthusiasm for the growing number of options that are available.
For example, the commercial availability of Viagra and its non-branded equivalents without the need for a prescription has resulted in a spike in sales, accompanied by broader discussion about the performance issues which men of all ages face in the bedroom. Since most people can take it daily, there is nothing stopping the current generation of men from making use of such products on a regular basis, which of course is great news for manufacturers and retailers hoping to grow sales.
Effective hair loss treatments are gaining traction
If addressing impotence is one side of the men’s health market in 2020, then the other side is undeniably occupied by products targeted at preventing or even reversing hair loss.
It is worth noting that in most cases the medical solutions being used are not necessarily new; some have been around for decades. What is changing is the availability of these products and the understanding of what they can do amongst the wider population.
The rise of e-commerce has helped to introduce more men to hair loss treatments at affordable price points, and of course being able to get such goods delivered direct to your door can help to overcome a whole host of embarrassment associated with buying them from bricks and mortar outlets.
Subscriptions are replacing one-off purchases
Another aspect of the men’s health market that is allowing it to accelerate towards strong double digit growth at the moment is the fact that a number of suppliers are moving towards the subscription model for selling products.
Subscriptions are on the rise across the board, not only when it comes to healthcare, retail and fashion but also in a number of other contexts, so consumers of all backgrounds are far more amenable to the prospect of paying monthly to receive a specific set of products.
Being able to subscribe to a health brand and receive regular deliveries of treatments that are needed from day to day, whether that might be to combat ED, hair loss or anything else, is clearly something that many millions of modern men crave.
This also explains the explosion in the number of Silicon Valley-based start-ups that are pushing the subscription model even further, with health products and a world of other niches getting this treatment. As such 2020 is just the beginning of the story in terms of industry growth.
