Consumer goods companies are charging exorbitant prices for exotic personal-care products like body deodorant and pubic-hair razors, an unwelcome new trend in retail known as “upflation.”
Unlike “shrinkflation,” where companies reduce the size and quantity of items in a package while keeping the price roughly the same, “upflation” describes the fee shoppers are charged for everyday products that are marketed for uses beyond their original scope.
Gillette sells the Venus “Pubic Hair and Skin” razor, “specially designed to protect” women’s bikini lines from irritation, for $15 a pack of four, up from $10 for traditional razors.
The brand’s parent company, Procter & Gamble, which also sells Secret, Old Spice and Dove products, also sells a full-body deodorant for $14 a bottle, nearly double the price of a typical underarm deodorant.
Companies including P&G, Unilever and Edgewell Personal Care are selling the products to make up for lost revenue as consumers, fed up with rising prices of basic goods, cut spending on items like razors, shampoo, laundry detergent and deodorant. According to Bloomberg News.
The news site cited data from market research firm Circana that found retailers sold 20% fewer razor blades last year compared to 2019.
During the same period, deodorant sales fell 6.5%.
P&G also sells related products, including a “pubic hair and skin conditioning exfoliant” and a “two-in-one cleanser and shaving gel,” which cost as much as $13 a six-ounce tube.
Manscaped sells specialized grooming products for men, including a personal crotch trimmer which it likens to a toothbrush, noting that “everyone needs it, but no one wants to share.”
Experts interviewed by Bloomberg News said only the first half of that marketing pitch is true.
Aleta Simmons, a dermatologist in Nashville, said “most people” don’t need a full-body deodorant, and those who struggle with body odor can get by with antibacterial soaps and a change of clothing.
Megan Smith, senior research and development manager for Unilever’s personal care division, said: She told Women’s Wear Daily The popularity of full-body deodorants likely stems from the desire of both men and women to improve the odor of their private parts.
“Men think mostly about their breasts and private parts, while women think about what’s underneath their bra,” Smith says.
A survey conducted by Unilever found that 15% of Americans want a full-body deodorant product, and a survey by Dove Men+Care line concluded that 76% of men would like to try a full-body deodorant, but only 2% actually use one.
P&G reported better-than-expected sales in its grooming division, a trend the company attributes in part to the popularity of full-body shaving and hair removal products for intimate areas, according to Bloomberg News.
The company declined to provide exact figures to Bloomberg News. The Washington Post has reached out to P&G for comment.
In recent years, high inflation has forced consumer goods manufacturers to reduce the packaging size of their products, a phenomenon known as “shrinkflation.”
Kleenex packets that originally contained 65 tissues have been reduced to 60, and Chobani Flips yogurt packets have been reduced from 5.3 ounces to 4.5 ounces.
Cottonelle Ultra Clean Care toilet paper has been reduced from 340 sheets per roll to 312 sheets, and Folgers coffee has downsized its container from 51 ounces to 43.5 ounces.
According to the latest Consumer Price Index report, prices of personal care products rose 1.3% year-on-year in May, but were down 0.3% compared to April.
Prices for hair care, dental care, shaving and other personal care products rose 2.3% in May from a year earlier but were still 0.3% lower than in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Inflation for personal care products has soared over the past two years. Prices rose 6.08% in 2022, according to federal data, after rising 7.58% last year.
