The fall of the metrosexual: Hairy hipsters drive down sales of male grooming products
Forget preening metrosexual types like David Beckham – these days it's all about the lumbersexual, whose hirsute, rugged appearance has pushed sales of male grooming products down, according to new figures.
Research by Kantar Worldpanel has suggested that although sales of male grooming products grew by five per cent in the summer of 2012, compared with just two per cent for women, that figure has since plateaued.
Men aged 25-34 are now buying three fewer packs of toiletries per year, resulting in a £25m loss for retailers over the three years since 2012, the figures suggested. Over the course of that time, men have spent £7m less on skincare, £3m less on shampoo and conditioner – and, alarmingly, £2.5m less on deodorants.
In fact, falling deodorant use seems to be rather a trend: only 80 per cent of men use it, compared with 91 per cent of women – and of the men who said they don't use it, 40 per cent said it was because they "don't see a need to", while seven per cent said they "can't be bothered" (at least they're honest).
Three-quarters added that they "don't have any problem with underarm odour or wetness", and another 20 per cent said they were retired or no longer work, so don't need to. We're sure their partners are delighted…
Still, at least cosmetics companies can take solace in the fact that the men who are still are still buying grooming products spend £1.27 more on cosmetics than they did three years ago. Small triumphs.
Not sure about the lumbersexual trend? Here's model Johnny Harrington showing off his whiskers for fashion magazine Apollo Novo.