At-home spa devices spur sales

A slew of at-home spa devices offer drug store retailers the opportunity to build incremental sales — while giving shoppers the chance to pamper themselves privately. Although visits to medical spas are up, not all women can spare the time or money for frequent visits. That’s fueled growth of the do-it-yourself gadget business. Today, chains can sell LED lights to fight acne or wrinkles, or to spur follicle growth — and they can do so even at price tags approaching $100.

These devices are being snapped up not only by boomers looking for the fountain of youth, but also by millennials hoping to stave off the effects of aging. According to the consumer research firm Kline, the beauty devices market in the United States was worth $730 million in 2016, including hair regrowth devices, a slight decline from the prior year. The company attributes the downward movement to a lack of innovation from such device mainstays as Clarisonic, which launched new items after the report. Kline noted that such categories as acne elimination and anti-aging are seeing growth.

One of the biggest opportunities is power cleansers. The skin care cleansing device category was pegged at $611 million in the United States for 2016, according to Euromonitor. Mintel found that 34% of women have tried a skin care device — but a larger segment of the market is interested. Pricing, however, is a barrier. Until a few years ago, drug chains didn’t have options to compete with Clairsonic. That changed with the introduction of Instrumental Beauty’s Sonic Facial Brush, from Lornamead parent company Li and Fung, and Conair’s True Glow Sonic Facial Brush, not to mention private label offerings.

Conair’s True Glow Sonic Brush is a dermatologist-approved cleansing brush that unclogs pores and washes away the embedded dirt and oil that can cause breakouts and dull skin. TheTrue Glow Sonic Facial Brush prepares skin to absorb moisturizers more efficiently. Unlike department store brands selling for more than $100, the Conair model retails at $49.99.

Beyond cleansers, there is mounting interest in light therapy. Neutrogena’s Light Therapy Acne Mask, which costs about $35, has been racking up impressive numbers in the mass market. The Neutrogena Light Therapy Acne Mask is meant to treat acne by using LED technology concentrated in acne-prone areas under a white plastic mask to address the condition, according to Ginny Friedman, Neutrogena’s group brand director for acne and cosmetics. It lasts for 30 days, and then customers need to buy a new Activator — priced at about $15 — to power the device again. The mask is now the best-selling item on Neutrogena’s website, Friedman said. CVS executives concurred earlier this year that the device is selling well.

Also getting interest from mass is the Revive Light Therapy Essentials Acne Treatment line, which recently was on display at Beautycon, where throngs of young shoppers lined up to see it. A few other devices getting attention at mass include the Hair Max Laser, which has a smaller version that the company said can be sold in the mass market, and ChinUp, which features a band that goes around the chin for a temporary chin lift.

Mass retailers now have an opportunity to get in on a device that shook up the market last year, the Dafni heated hairbrush. The brush shortens the time it takes to style hair, particularly textured hair. A smaller and less expensive Dafni on the Go will be released this year at Ulta.com and Target.com, with potential for physical store distribution.

Some retailers said they are testing out devices by offering them online so they don’t have to worry about pilferage and inventory turns in brick- and-mortar stores. Once something takes off, the item can be installed in stores. CVS, for instance, offers the three-piece Clarisonic Mia, as well as other Clarisonic products, online for $148.99.

What’s next? Buyers said they are being presented with more hair growth and hair remover products, at-home microneedling kits, additional light therapy devices, microcurrent gadgets and facial toner machines. The at-home spa is set to become a bona fide department in the future, retailers concluded.