The Best Bodycare In The Supermarket Aisle

In these recessionary times, shoppers are seeking out wallet-friendly alternatives, while brands are competing for their attention. With a growing range of options in the bodycare space, Lucy Slight considers luxe-for-less options from the supermarket, and whether going viral translates to the till.

With ongoing concerns around the cost of living, consumers are seeking value without compromising on quality. One category in which this shift is particularly noticeable is bodycare.

You may have witnessed this in the personal care aisle at the supermarket, with local indie brands and their sophisticated, modern packaging taking up coveted space on shelves. If you’re on Instagram or TikTok, chances are you’ve also been witness to the virality of many of these innovative offerings, with brands in the beauty space in particular, relying on both organic and paid reach to attract customers.

READ: Why, exactly, are we all so obsessed with a Brazilian bum cream?

Erna Basson, founder of Frula Beauty, a natural skincare, haircare and bodycare brand available in Woolworths across New Zealand and Australia, knows first-hand the benefits of having a brand go viral on social media. A TikTok video for Frula Beauty once reached more than one million views in less than a week (despite its current following of 1419), resulting in a 15% increase in sales via supermarkets.

“Social media is a powerful tool and, when used with good intention, can be a marketing secret weapon,” says Basson, who was a Top 4 finalist on The Apprentice New Zealand.

Social media is where many consumers first discover new brands. These platforms are popular marketing tools for launching products due to the ability to reach a vast audience and achieve high engagement even with a small follower base.

Collaboration with influencers has been shown to yield an ROI (return on investment) 11 times higher than traditional marketing methods, according to a study by TapInfluence and Nielsen Catalina Solutions. Further to that, the ability to share stories, values and behind-the-scenes content creates a more authentic connection with a brand’s audience from the outset. And in a time where consumers are being extra cautious about where their money goes, establishing trust has never been more important.

Basson is passionate about bringing affordable luxury to New Zealand households through personal care products and at the end of June, she launched her new brand Habit By Day into Woolworths stores across New Zealand. Prior to launch, her business, TCBC Group, conducted extensive research into consumer spending habits and current offerings, discovering a significant trend in wellness-inspired products being made more accessible to the mass market.

It’s a trend that has been gaining momentum globally, particularly with larger international brands launching wellness-focused products in supermarket stores in the US, she says.

In light of the current economic climate, research also revealed that New Zealanders are looking to get more value from their everyday purchases.

Data released by Stats NZ in March 2024, showed that between June 2019 and 2023 spending on miscellaneous goods and services, which includes personal care, was up 21.6%.

With rising costs at checkout, larger, value-based products are more popular than the smaller sizes, explains Basson, but customers still want to enjoy a level of luxury without the price tag.

“This preference is supported by the fact that the majority of shoppers in the bodycare category are mainstream consumers, with young families being the largest shopper profile. Families tend to prefer products that offer more value and last longer, which led us to develop larger-sized body washes and hand washes,” she explains.

“Shoppers now expect high-quality ingredients and luxurious experiences at accessible prices, aligning with the growing emphasis on self-care and wellness.”

But what makes a brand “luxury” if the price point is low? A common trait across many of the new brands in this category is a preference for sleek, minimalist packaging that sits on the shelf as an understated yet stark contrast to heritage brands such as Nivea and Dove.

With aesthetics being a key component to shareability on social media, elevated packaging is a must, especially if brands are looking to obtain organic, unpaid engagement. Seeding visually impressive products to influencers is also more likely to result in them returning the favour by posting on social media, which leads to increased consumer hype.

These brands know they can’t get by on pretty packaging alone however. Jaimee Lupton, founder of Monday Haircare and Osana Naturals launched her new brand, Châlon Paris, into Woolworths supermarkets in June, tapping into one of beauty’s biggest trends of the moment, the “skinification” of bodycare. The incorporation of skin-loving ingredients into both body and haircare products that wouldn’t traditionally offer the accompanying benefits means customers are able to streamline their beauty routines and get more “bang for their buck”.

Châlon Paris has chosen hyaluronic acid as its feature skincare ingredient, one which is known for its ability to retain moisture in the skin and protect its barrier. Each product is also infused with essential oils which the brand says have proven mood-enhancing benefits, and the scents have been exclusively created by the nose of a leading Parisian perfumer. Pricing for Châlon Paris ranges from $8 to $17 and is also available through Woolworths.

It’s not just supermarkets leaning into the “luxe for less” body care trend. In May, The Warehouse launched its first private label body and haircare brand, Good One, with products priced between $6 and $8 and housed in colourful yet minimalist packaging. Made in New Zealand, the products contain native ingredients such as kawakawa and manuka honey, enabling Kiwis of all income brackets to access the healing benefits of some of Aotearoa’s most celebrated natural ingredients.

While there are many commonalities between these three new-to-market brands in terms of modern packaging design and consciously crafted ingredients, the fact that they’re all marketing to “everyday Kiwis” through price-driven retailers means they’re each able to offer customers accessibility, convenience and affordability, not to mention aesthetically pleasing products that look high end on the bathroom shelf.

Gone are the days of refilling your empty Aesop hand wash with that hidden stash of Palmolive …

Lucy Slight is a New Zealand Herald columnist and Viva contributor.

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