North America: Cosmetics beat stateside slump

The impact of the recession on brand development in North America is made clear by the sharp drop in figures for new products hitting the market. While more than 51,000 were recorded by Mintel’s Global new Products Database (GNPD) in both 2007 and 2008, 40,843 new lines hit US and Canadian supermarkets in 2009.

The skincare, non-alcoholic beverages and healthcare categories in particular saw big drops, while colour cosmetics and air care products stood up well and avoided any slowdown in new product development.

Flexibles continued to dominate the choice of packaging for new products. The use of cartons in new products dropped by a third, while other pack types – including flexible packs, bottles, tubs and trays – all slid around a quarter.

TOP 10 PACK TYPES FOR NEW PRODUCTS
Flexible 9,186
Bottle 7,735
Tube 5,419
Jar 3,340
Carton 2,932
Case 1,922
Tub 1,496
Can 1,418
Tray 893
Composite 235

TOP 10 NEW PRODUCT TYPES
Colour cosmetics 8,537
Skincare 3224
Non-alcoholic beverages 2,544
Healthcare 2,404
Bakery 2,288
Sauces and seasonings 1,863
Snacks 1,739
Air care 1,646
Soap and bath products 1,559
Haircare 1,398

Source: Mintel GNPD, products launched during 2009

NEW PACKS
Victoria’s Secret body lotion The lingerie brand’s Drenched in Pink body lotion launched in January in this rectangular polypropylene pack with an off-centre pump dispenser.

Coca-Cola Christmas bottle This special edition was launched in Canada for the festive season. The 400ml PET bottle was designed to look like bauble and features a shrink sleeve.


Gwen Stefani perfume The Harajuku Lovers range carries the pop star’s name. The 10ml glass spray bottle is shaped to resemble a caricatured geisha, while the foil-embossed carton features Japanese script.


Noteworthy bubble bath Noteworthy launched this  seasonal pouch of Vanilla Blizzard Bubble Bath just before Christmas. It is small for a bubble bath at just 90ml and the pouch is sure to please the lightweighting lobby.


Four Cabernet Sauvignon Californian wine producer Four has just launched this Cabernet Sauvignon red in a 3l premium composite tube. The 14.8% ABV wine is stored in a bag and dispensed through a push-release.

Popcorn Factory witch hat A Halloween special, this textile hat has a Velcro fastened seal on the base which opens to reveal children’s snacks and sweets.

Mintel GNPD is a web-based database capturing new product and packaging data from around the world. Information on packaging for each product includes photography, data on material, format, closure, label, decorative processes, inserts, production methods, style details and security aspects. GNPD also offers editorial features on packaging trends. Visit www.gnpd.com.

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