According to a market research conducted by The NPD Group, the total prestige lip segment (which includes lip colour, lip liner, lip gloss, and lip applicators) grew by +7 per cent in value in 2011 (January through April), to USD 185.2 million in U.S. department stores, and +4 per cent in units to 9.8 million, on a year-to-date basis.
However, “the real star of the segment though was lip colour, with an increase of 11 percent in dollars (USD 92.1 million), compared to January through April ’10,” said The NPD Group in a release.
The market research firm says that after almost a decade of declining sales, lip colour began to show growth again last year. “Since February 2010, lip colour has experienced 15 months of steady dollar growth, with seven of those months posting double-digit increases, including April ’11 (+30%). Annual 2010 results were the first time since 2002 that lip colour saw a unit increase, +8 percent, the highest increase since 1998.”
"What is particularly noteworthy of the trend in lip colour is that we are seeing these significant increases in sales at a time when overall usage of lip colour appeared to be dropping off. Coming out of the recession, it seems that the consumers thirst for colour and play was reawakened," said Karen Grant, vice president and senior global industry analyst, The NPD Group. "In 2010, we saw the preference for rich as well as retro colours and in 2011 we are seeing new neutrals come to the fore. As the fashion industry increasingly features bold as well as understated lip statements on the runway and in advertisements, lip colour appears to be getting its groove back," ended Grant.
