“Packaging size matters” in India

Particular trends identified included the widespread use of small, flexible sachets for shampoo and personal cosmetic products, but this was countered by a growing trend towards different sized packages.

The report also suggests that large, family-sized aerosol sprays for deodorants continue to dominate the marketplace.

Regina Maiseviciute, senior packaging analyst and author of the research, said: “During a recent conversation with one of the leading beauty and personal care manufacturers, the issue of pack size and its importance was raised. As Euromonitor International’s latest packaging research reveals, pack size does undoubtedly matter."​

Best in small packages​

On the Indian market, sachets are commonly used for hair products, bar soap, colourants, conditioners, facial moisturizers, liquid soap and toothpaste, with Sunsilk, Clinic Plus and Head & Shoulders pointed to as popular brands.

Small sachets of up to 10ml accounted for 98 percent of standard shampoo sales in 2013 with demand for small sizes driven largely by price consciousness, particularly in rural and semi-built-up areas.

Changing trends​

However, Euromonitor revealed that flexible small-sized packaging, while still making up the majority of the market share at 54 percent, is declining in in India as a result of customers having more disposable income to spend on bigger pack sizes.

Flexible sachets are also suffering from a dip in long-term market share, from 56 percent in 2010.

A particular competitor identified for small packaging was HDPE bottles, which are expected to post a CAGR of 9.3 percent between 2012 and 2017 for shampoos.

Deodorant sprays​

India is predicted to add 77 million deodorant units to global consumption from 2012-2016, making it one of the fastest growing markets in the world. Per capita consumption is also expected to rise from 12.5ml to 20.3ml. 

Large 101-300ml sizes are very common purchases as a result of the fact that such products are often shared between a whole family as a more hygienic alternative to sticks and roll-ons. Consumer preferences for delivery methods varied from region to region.

Euromonitor’s analysis also suggested that there is an opportunity for companies to market deodorants packs in smaller sizes, for travel and for low to mid-income households.