What about segmentation?

The shampoo market is very interesting in terms of segmentation because it gathers so many characteristics concerning the various types of products, users consumption ways that we could highlight numerous ways to segment it.

Just think about it. What type of shampoo do you buy? Why do you buy this specific one? Is it because it is cheap? Or because you like the packaging? Or because its characteristics are adapted to you needs?

There exist so many ways to segment this market that we are going to try to highlight the main ones. 

First of all, let’s take a closer look to a segmentation per types of hair.

 http://www.loreal-paris.fr/soin-du-cheveu.aspx

On the shelves of retail stores, we often identify shampoos according to the type of hair it is dedicated to. For instance, some are dedicated to:

• Wavy and curly hair (Fructis Hydra Boucles)
• Smooth hair (Fructis Hydra Liss)
• Mid-long and long hair (Fructis Long and Strong)

Besides the type of hair, there is the color also taken into account:

• Blond hair (Nivéa Brillant Blonde, Ultra Doux Camomile and Honey)
• Dark hair (Ultra Doux Henna and Blackberry Vinegar)  
• Colored hair (Fructis color Resist, Elsève Color Vive, Nivéa Color Protect)

After the type or the color, we can identify another type of segmentation. Indeed, the companies promise some results to the consumer through the use of one specific shampoo. We can here talk about the segmentation by promise, or in other words, by consumer’s needs:

• Classic (Nivéa Classic Care)
• Resistance (Elsève Anti-Casse)
• Smooth (Nivéa Easy Liss, Elsève Liss-Intense)
• Shiny (Nivéa Diamond Gloss, Fructis Pure Brillance)
• Volume (Elsève Volume Collagène, Nivéa Volume Sensation)
• Hydration (Nivéa Nutri Cashmere, Fructis Nutri Repair Oléo Intense)
• Reparation (Elsève Total Repair 5, Fructis Nutri Repair)
• Greasy hair (Fructis Fresh)
• Curly (Elsève Boucles Sublimes) 
• Anti-dandruff (The Head and Shoulders range, Fructis Anti-Pelliculaire Traitant) 

We can also segment the market according to gender. Indeed, more and more brands dedicate a range of their products especially to men. Some of them distinct ranges for women from ranges for men like Elsève for instance: Shampoos and care for women and shampoos and care for men, and some others decline their products regarding the type of hair or the need of the consumer and besides, dedicate another range to men like Nivéa: the products Nivéa for Men.

Finally, we can segment the market of shampoos regarding the age of the target. Indeed, some brands dedicated a range of products to kids for instance or some companies dedicated a product from a specific brand to elderly people:

• Kids (P’tit Dop, L’Oréal Kids)
• Adults (Neutralia) 
• Elderly people (Elsève Re-Densifieur)