CavinKare enters men's grooming market with launch of new brand Biker's

The firm, which expects the sector to grow 15-20% a year and hit $1.2 bn by 2024, will be competing with the likes of P&G, Hindustan Unilever, Dabur, L'Oreal and Nivea

Weeks after announcing the restructuring of its business, FMCG major CavinKare has announced its entry into the men’s grooming segment through the launch of personal care brand Biker’s.

The company expects the sector to grow at a rate of 15-20 per cent per annum and touch around $1.2 billion by 2024 and through the foray CavinKare is targeting a significant market presence in a growing category, said Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan, chief executive officer and director-FMCG, CavinKare. The Chennai-based company will be competing with the likes of Procter & Gamble, Hindustan Unilever, Dabur, L’Oreal and Nivea in the segment, with a current size of around Rs 5,000-6,000 crore. He saw the foray as a significant step in the ‘CavinKare 2.0 growth strategy’ announced during the time of restructuring.

“The pandemic has opened many opportunities for all industries, but it has been a game changer for the beauty and hygiene category. We have seen an increased interest among the urban male consumers for personal grooming products. Hence, we have used our strength – research and development - to develop an entire product line specifically curated to match the needs of urban male consumers,” Vijayaraghavan said. He added that being a nascent category, men's grooming has enough space for each of the players to grow, provided the products are innovative.

The newly launched Biker’s brand has products like 2-in-1 shampoo-conditioners, beard oil, beard cream and shower gel to meet the needs of the urban male. “Looking at overall, the market is around Rs 12,000-15,000 crore, that includes the traditional shaving space as well. If you look at the grooming space in particular, it will be around Rs 5,000-6,000 crore growing at around 15-20 per cent a year. We would be largely focussed on the grooming market and may not be present in the traditional spaces like shaving,” he said. The company is targeting the new spaces that are emerging in hair care, face care and body care.

Biker’s is more focussed on the mass grooming market and will also be available in the e-commerce space. “To a large extent, men’s grooming will be under Biker’s brand. We are in a phase where we want to ensure our presence in 10 lakh outlets across the country. We will play in a non-sachet segment and leverage our company’s strength across the mass market,” he added.