Engagement with personal care: What motivates men?

Male grooming has been a hot topic for the past few years, and there has been rising interest in the male routine. Embracing the bearded look, for example, has prompted huge innovation in shaving and facial grooming products - with beard shampoo and balms becoming all the rage. It's also been hard to ignore the natural trend, whether that be the natural look or growth in natural products. So are we seeing men use more products and become more engaged in their personal care routine in response to these developments?

Are men becoming more involved? 

Even with the increase in product innovation, we are seeing regime simplification affecting both the male and female markets. The growth of multi-benefit products, coupled with consumers' increasing lack of time, has meant men are opting for the “less is more” approach and dropping products from their routine - going from using 7 products in their weekly routine down to 6 since 2013. They're more likely to buy the products they are using themselves; evidence that they are becoming more involved in the purchasing of their own products than ever before.
 
For example, in Brazil, 3% more men claim to buy their own products than in 2014. Germans have the highest engagement, with 82% of men saying they purchase their own personal care products compared with a quarter in Italy.

What motivates men’s buying behaviour? 

As men become more involved in the purchasing process, it is important to understand what their main drivers of purchase are. Historically, women were the primary shoppers for themselves and their household, however, our purchase data shows that there’s been an increase in men buying male products whilst women’s buying has remained flat (52 weeks to 7 October 2018).

Men in Great Britain are very brand-loyal; just under half claim they “always choose the same brand”, with value being 2^nd most important factor for them. Overwhelmingly, brand loyalty is the top driver for men's purchases across many countries including Germany, Brazil and Spain. 

What products are driving this engagement?
 
If men are buying their own personal care products what are they most likely to pick up? In Great Britain, razors and face moisturiser are at the top of the list, meaning men are more involved with these categories than others. Shampoo, on the other hand, is one of the least involved products; a third of men do not buy their own, and over half claim they are happy to use whatever is available at home.
 
What are the other reasons for men not purchasing their own products? Does involvement in purchasing differ by age? Why are men invested in razors? Why are men using the product that they are most likely to purchase?