The nail business appears to be very much alive and ticking, according the latest Pink Report by The Beauty Company, which was presented at last week’s annual Beauty Industry West Luncheon at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. The extensive study, entitled “Nailed: The Allure of Nail Color”, takes an emotional and intimate approach to the relationship between consumers and the nail industry.
“Wherever you fall on the beauty wheel, true brand and product success hinges on knowing your consumer and what drives her interests, usage and purchase intent,” said Alisa Marie Beyer, founder and CEO of The Beauty Company, a brand and product strategy firm. “By intimately understanding what she wants and desires from her nailcare products, you are ideally positioned to capture the queen’s portion of this fast-growing market segment.”
More than 3,800 female beauty consumers in the U.S. were interviewed for the study, all of whom regularly get manicures and pedicures (either themselves at home or at a salon/spa). Although it comes as no surprise that a fair number of women enjoy getting their nails done, the statistics presented suggests that the activity is more of an outlet or even obsession for some than an occasional luxury. Here are some of the über-interesting takeaways from the study:
- 99% of women agree that they are addicted to their nail polish
- 79% view their manicure as very to somewhat important to them
- More than 50% strongly agree that buying a new nail polish makes them feel exited and happy
- The majority of women own more than 30 bottles of nail polish
- Pink is the preferred nail color (41%), followed by red (19%) and purple (9%)
Lending their professional insight and expertise on all things nails were Shel Pink, founder of vegan nail company SpaRitual, and Michelle Toma Olson, founder and president of ‘Tini Beauty company. Pink discussed her experience as a pioneer in the eco-friendly beauty movement (“I’m not a revolutionary, I’m an evolutionary,” she said), as well as the transition of spa going from luxury to necessity.
Toma presented her latest initiative:The Lacquer Cabinet. The online membership program features a monthly color collection of nail lacquers curated by top nail and beauty experts. Members also have the option of two “mixology” lacquers they can blend to create their own unique hue. “I find that the success of nail polishes doesn’t depend on the claims of consumers, but on color,” Toma said. “It’s all about color.”
