A critical change is underway in consumer buying habits as we enter the New Normal. The key driver for this is the switch from value-added to affordability:
• Value-added. The Boomers loved buying premium products when they were young. Companies rushed to support them, so that even tee-shirts became status symbols. Thus they were able to continually increase profits by adding extra features
• Affordability. But now the Boomers are entering their low-spending years. Equally, research evidence suggests their priorities are changing. They now value relationships with family and friends, and don’t feel the need to boost their self-esteem with status symbols
As the chart shows, this is changing the industry landscape. In the New Normal, there are only two strategic choices, as the formerly profitable middle ground is now fast disappearing:
• Mass-Market, based on high volume and low margins
• Niche, targeting low volumes and higher margins
Croda Chemicals is a good example of how the latter strategy can prove very successful. It is one of the few companies to have noticed that the ageing Boomers are now the only growth sector in western society. As Croda CEO Steve Foots told the Financial Times:
“Croda’s consumer care division – which accounts for more than half the group’s total revenues – has benefited from the trend among ageing populations to spend more on cosmetics to preserve a youthful appearance.
“In consumer care, it is all about niches – finding the right areas to target,” said Mr Foots, identifying the group’s new products in pharmaceutical delivery systems, high-end anti-wrinkle skin creams and crop care.
“When we launch products, we launch them at higher margins than those already out there.”