How many times have you bought a toothbrush or toothpaste without even thinking about it? Probably more than you can count. And how many times did you use eCommerce for the purchase? Dental care is an important element of overall health and well-being, which is exactly why it is crucial to invest a little more thought into what kind of products you use. Luckily – according to an Oral Care Hygiene Market report, people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of oral health for overall health, which has transformed the way we choose and buy dental care products.
Commodity goods and the law of demand
All commodities derive their value from their ability to be sold on the global market. The sale of commodities is a universal process that remains unchanged regardless of the product’s use or the country that it is sold in. The sale of any commodity depends solely on the law of supply and demand.
E-commerce of dental care products
In the light of recent events, new opportunities have opened up in the oral care market. The growing popularity of e-commerce stores for oral care products is setting new trends in dentistry. Now more than ever, oral care products are being sold on e-commerce platforms. Pandemic has reshaped the way people shop for everyday products, including cosmetic products and toiletries. In fact, shopping at online oral care shops is now more popular than in physical stores like pharmacies. That fact can easily be explained by the advantages e-shopping brings along like the availability of multi-brand oral care products, price promotions, bundles, ease of purchasing, and free shipping. It is no surprise that because of this growing trend major market players have increased their investments in these channels.
A marked shift in the way people buy dental care products
For decades, toothpaste has been marketed as a cosmetic product, regarded as having little importance to overall health. As such, people weren’t exactly thinking or doing any research about what kind of toothpaste or toothbrush they should use. Most would simply head to the nearest supermarket and buy the first toothpaste they see.
Due to the Covid pandemic as well as the growing awareness of oral health importance, there has been a marked increase in online purchase of oral care products. In fact, according to the Research and Markets 2020/2025 forecast report, the oral care hygiene market is projected to reach USD 53.3 billion by 2025, with the toothpaste segment holding the highest market share.
These two consumer behavior changes have helped rank products like toothpastes and toothbrushes higher on the list of priorities. In addition to that, these realizations have had a huge impact not only on a personal but also on an economical level, which we’ll discuss in the subsequent paragraphs.
Implications on an economic level
With that in mind, it is no wonder that the FMCG market has been growing rapidly over the last decade. In fact, sales in the FMCG industry grew from $1.5 trillion in 2012 to $1.68 trillion in 2016. In a year-over-year comparison, the industry grew by $217 billion. The huge growth of the FMCG markets is detectable not only in the United States, but also in Europe, China, India, and Brazil. Another contributing factor to more toothpastes and mouthwash being sold globally is the fact that consumption of sugar is growing steadily, and is suspected to rise to about 171.8 million metric tons by 2020/2021. Excessive sugar consumption, as you probably know, is tied to tooth decay because of the way it alters the bacteria in your mouth to produce acid which then eats away the enamel causing cavities and bad teeth.
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) take up a significant percentage of spending in developed countries like the United States. These everyday products, including cosmetics and toiletries like toothpastes and soaps, account for more than half of total consumer spending. Because people are paying more attention to the fact that dental products are both a necessity and a commodity, these products are now becoming more available online.
Implications on a personal level
In most cases, when you set out to buy a commodity good, you simply buy the most affordable or easily reachable item and then move on with your life. However, thanks to a boom in online shopping, people are now choosing more deliberately what they buy.
Browsing online, as opposed to physically visiting the store has several benefits, especially when it comes to dental care products like toothbrushes, toothpastes, and dental floss.
Being able to shop for FMCG online has several advantages:
- you can easily compare prices of different brands and product types;
- you can read other people’s reviews to make an informed choice;
- you can compare features, look at the ingredient list – something you rarely do at the pharmacy or store because there is no sales pressure;
- you can relax and make an informed choice at your own pace, worthy of your money.
People are often not aware of the health implications everyday personal care products may have on their health. Little by little, chemicals in these products can affect your overall wellbeing. Why not avoid that when you can? Opt for naturally derived oral care products whenever you can. You should never skimp on oral care, even when you are trying to save money – simply because oral health has a huge impact on many aspects of your overall well-being.
Sources:
https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/oral-care-market-80546246.html
https://www.statista.com/map/europe/branch/consumer-goods-fmcg
https://unctad.org/news/how-covid-19-triggered-digital-and-e-commerce-turning-point
