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- UK Soap, Bath and Shower Market Report 2025
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UK Soap, Bath and Shower Market Report Analysis
The UK soap, bath, and shower market grew sharply during the 2020 COVID-19 peak, reaching almost £900 million, then declined before stabilising in 2024 with nearly 4% growth.
Driven by skin-focused products and consumer interest, the soap, bath, and shower market faces slowed innovation, especially in shower products, and remains price-sensitive. Forecasts for 2025-29 suggest fluctuating growth, relying on premiumisation, on-the-go formats, and sustainability. However, long-term expansion may be limited by a usage ceiling, water-saving pressures, and an ageing population using fewer products.
UK Soap, Bath and Shower Market Report Trends
Consumers in the UK soap, bath, and shower market are increasingly interested in expanding their product repertoires, with more than half the consumers keen to use multiple body washes for different benefits. Most consumers shower or bathe in the morning but also at various times throughout the day, creating opportunities for time-specific product formulations in the Bath Market, Soap Market and Shower Market segments. There is a growing demand for travel-friendly and on-the-go formats, as 31% use these products outside the home, especially among active Gen Z exercisers. Fragrance preferences favour fresh and clean scents, while price sensitivity remains high, with many motivated by promotions. Additionally, wellness and skin health trends are driving interest in products with beauty-enhancing ingredients and sensitive skin benefits, while parents show strong preference for products featuring licensed characters for children.
Purchasing the UK Soap, Bath and Shower Market Report 2025 offers key insights into consumer behaviour and market trends. It helps manufacturers and marketers understand usage patterns, fragrance preferences, and economic factors to refine strategies within the soap, bath and shower market. The report highlights opportunities in premiumisation, travel-friendly products, and sustainability to support growth in the UK market.
About The Report
The UK Soap, Bath and Shower Market Report 2025 provides comprehensive insights into consumer usage habits, preferences for scents and product formats, market size and growth forecasts, and key innovation and marketing trends shaping the category. The research covers consumer demographics, purchasing behaviour, product segmentation, and channel performance across grocery, health and beauty, and online retailers in the UK. This Soap Bath and Shower Market Report is valuable for manufacturers, marketers, retailers, and product developers seeking to understand evolving consumer needs, identify growth opportunities, and make informed strategic decisions in the UK shower market, soap market and bath market.
Key Topics Analysed in the Report
- Usage of SBS products, and the time of day and location they are used
- Opportunities to increase product repertoires within the category
- How to appeal to the next generation of SBS consumers
- Disruptive SBS product launch and advertising activity
- The consumer’s fragrance preferences when choosing SBS products
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Samantha Dover. Sam has almost ten years of experience producing engaging and insightful, data-led beauty and retail content, whilst also bringing research to life through media work, client collaborations and industry events. She is skilled at identifying emerging trends, changes in consumer behaviour and business opportunities.
The category has seen steady growth, but innovation is needed to ensure future success. Gen Alpha are a compelling new cohort of consumers, as brands targeting the cohort mainly play in other categories.
Samantha Dover
Global Beauty Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for the soap, bath and shower market
- Attract the attention of Gen Alpha while competition is low
- Increase repertoires through segmentation and limited editions
- Opportunities exist to cater to the needs of avid exercisers
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size & forecast
- The category grows steadily after decline from COVID-19 peak
- Market predictions
- The SBS market will likely fluctuate
- What consumers want and why
- Wellness trends boost SBS usage
- Graph 1: usage of soap, bath or shower products in the last 6 months, 2023 vs 2025
- Tap into consumer demand for travel-friendly products
- Graph 2: locations where bath and/or shower products were used in the last 6 months, 2025
- Formulate with time of day in mind
- Graph 3: time of the day when bath and/or shower products were used in the last six months, 2025
- Price sensitivity drives purchase in SBS
- Graph 4: factors that would motivate consumers to try a new soap, bath or shower product, 2025
- Place a spotlight on fresh scent notes
- Graph 5: scent preferences for soap, bath or shower products, 2025
- Make a good first impression
- Graph 6: soap, bath or shower behaviours, 2025
- Innovation and marketing
- SBS innovation was plentiful in 2024
- Innovative launches come to the market
- Better align NPD with usage via shower innovation
- Graph 7: new product development in the soap, bath and shower category, by product segment, 2020-24
- Graph 8: new product development in the soap, bath and shower category, by launch type, 2020-24
- Leverage NPD to capture an untapped audience: older Gen Alpha consumers
- Social media set to see an increase in ad spend
- Graph 9: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on soap, bath and shower products, by media type, 2022-25
- Graph 10: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on soap, bath and shower products, by ultimate company, 2024
- Skin health is in the spotlight
MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size
- Soap, bath and shower benefits from the skinification trend
- Graph 11: retail value sales of soap, bath and shower products, 2020-24
- Market forecast
- The SBS market will likely fluctuate
- Opportunities
- Threats
- Market segmentation
- NPD drives growth in both the hand and body SBS segments
- Market share
- Carex reigns in the hand soap segment
- Palmolive wins by pairing value and sustainability
- Own-label makes positive headway at both ends of the price spectrum
- Radox fails to maintain growth in the bath and shower segment
- Dove retains its market leading position
- Sanex’s growth highlights sensitive skin needs
- Channels to market
- Discount retailers do not see substantial growth, despite a tough economic climate
- Elevate the in-store supermarket range
- Online-only retailers see the fastest growth
- Health and beauty retailers focus on brand acquisition
- Market drivers
- Consumers are still budget conscious
- Graph 12: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-25
- Prepare for changing population demographics
- Graph 13: predicted change in the age structure of the UK population, 2025-30
- Water bill increases may cause behaviour change
- Exercising habits open up innovation opportunities…
- …especially when targeting Gen Z
- Graph 14: Gen Z’s participation in playing and watching sport, 2025
- Cater to the growing Muslim population
- Travel trends will fuel demand for minis
- Graph 15: flights taken in the last 12 months, by age, 2019-24
- Skin sensitivity opens up opportunity for innovation
- Wellness trends could drive growth
WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Usage of soap, bath or shower products
- Tap into consumer interest in self-care and skin health
- Graph 16: usage of soap, bath or shower products in the last six months, 2023 vs 2025
- Encourage consumers to further increase SBS repertoires
- Hand sanitiser must differentiate from its COVID-19 image
- Graph 17: hand sanitiser gel usage, 2016-25
- Women are the most active users of SBS products
- Graph 18: usage of soap, bath or shower products in the last six months, by gender, 2025
- Gen Z favour moisturising formats
- Graph 19: usage of soap, bath or shower products in the last six months, by generation, 2025
- Widen product repertoires with oil launches
- Help solids continue to grow by removing pain points
- Don’t let convenience compromise experience
- Explore premium minis for consumers looking to treat themselves
- Where bath and shower products are used
- On-the-go usage will cement demand for travel-friendly products
- Graph 20: locations where bath and/or shower products were used in the last six months, 2025
- Gym brands can meet the on-the-go needs of men
- Graph 21: select locations where bath and/or shower products were used in the last six months, by gender, 2025
- Gyms offer a new route for brand discovery
- Concentrated formats will appeal to those who shower at work
- Time of the day when bath and shower products are used
- Expand morning- and evening-specific SBS ranges
- Encouraging midday exercise could boost afternoon showers
- Graph 22: time of the day when bath and/or shower products were used in the last six months, by gender, 2025
- Gen Z need quick refresh options for the evening
- Graph 23: time of the day when bath and/or shower products were used in the last six months, by generation, 2025
- Provide a WFH energy boost
- Help parents unwind with the next generation of actives
- Graph 24: time of the day when bath and/or shower products were used in the last six months, by parental status, 2025
- Increase repertoires through time segmentation
- Graph 25: time of the day when bath and/or shower products were used in the last six months, by time of the day when bath and/or shower products were used in the last six months, 2025
- Factors that motivate soap, bath and shower product experimentation
- Trust, price and naturalness influence SBS decisions
- Graph 26: factors that would motivate consumers to try a new soap, bath or shower product, 2025
- Emphasise brand reputation
- Use natural ingredients with beauty benefits
- Big pack sizes can appeal to families
- Eco friendly attributes must be paired with performance
- Limited editions appeal to Gen Z
- Inject fun into SBS via scarcity
- Unique and social media-worthy formats appeal to younger consumers
- Incorporate skincare actives for improved results
- Intro offers are crucial for new brands
- Scent preferences for soap, bath and shower products
- Explore the demand for fresh and clean scent notes…
- Graph 27: scent preferences for soap, bath or shower products, 2025
- …and know they are open to interpretation
- Pay attention to a new wave of fruity scents
- Expand beyond traditional male scents
- Graph 28: scent preferences for soap, bath or shower products, by gender, 2025
- Young women want sweet scents
- Graph 29: sweet preferences for soap, bath or shower products, by select age and genders, 2025
- Look to fragrance trends for upcoming florals
- Washing, bathing and showering habits
- On-the-go products are needed
- Graph 30: washing, bathing and showering habits, 2025
- Appeal to non-bathers with cold plunge products
- Align with emerging sauna trends to capture Gen Z
- Graph 31: SBS users who say that working from home has changed their washing/bathing habits, by generation, 2025
- Soap, bath and shower usage behaviours
- Make a good first impression
- Graph 32: soap, bath and shower usage behaviours, 2025
- Help consumers expand their routines
- Take learnings from haircare to encourage consumers to layer body washes
- Graph 33: SBS users who would be interested in using multiple body washes to achieve different goals, by gender and age, 2025
- 2-in-1 cleansing/shaving products must be price-conscious
- Graph 34: SBS users who use soap, bath or shower products in place of shaving products, by household income, 2025
- Attitudes towards children’s soap, bath and shower products
- The key to children’s SBS is licensed characters
- Licensed character may drive children’s loyalty
- Capture the untapped space of older Gen Alpha
INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation
- Innovation surpasses COVID-19 levels
- Graph 35: share of BPC launches accounted for by soap, bath and shower products, 2020-24
- The shower segment would benefit from NPD
- Graph 36: new product development in the soap, bath and shower category, by product segment, 2020-24
- Skinification hits SBS
- Turn to limited edition to give consumers a sense of newness
- Graph 37: new product development in the soap, bath and shower category, by launch type, 2020-24
- Sustainability is a hygiene factor, differentiate to stand out
- Graph 38: top 10 claims in the UK soap, bath and shower category (based on 2024), 2023-24
- Private label accounts for a quarter of the SBS market
- Private label launches can help consumers buy more volume
- Graph 39: new product development in the soap, bath and shower category, branded vs private label, 2020-24
- M&S chase trading down behaviour with NPD launches
- Graph 40: new product development in the soap, bath and shower market, by top 10 brands and others, 2024
- Non-SBS brands launch into the category
- Deliver pain relief through bath products
- Advertising and marketing activity
- TV remains the dominant advertising channel
- Graph 41: total above-the-line, online display, direct mail and social media advertising expenditure on soap, bath and shower products, by media type, 2022-25
- Unilever outpaces other brands with ad spend
- Graph 42: total above-the-line, online display, direct mail and social media advertising expenditure on soap, bath and shower products, by ultimate company, 2024
- Dove leans on value
- Radox sponsors the 2025 TCS London Marathon
- Original Source highlights its intense scent
- Method emphasises the sensorial aspect of bathing
- Skin benefits come front and center
- Lush helps consumers build a perfect shower routine
APPENDIX
- Supplementary data
- Trends in the age structure of the UK population
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market size and forecast: constant and current prices
- Market forecast: prediction intervals
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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