Star product: How cleansing sheets have driven Men’s Bioré’s consecutive sales growth for a decade

Men’s Bioré was launched in 1995 and offers a range of personal care products especially for men, including facial cleansers, pore strips and cleansing sheets.

Sales for the latter, which includes face and body sheets, have grown to become the brand’s biggest products.

Sales for cleansing sheets increased by 743% from 2010 to 2020 and retained the top spot in the cleansing sheet category in Japan during the same period, according to INTAGE’s Nationwide Retail Store Panel (SRI) report.

Kao said cleansing sheets are continuing to drive the brand’s sales as male consumers are now increasingly concerned about having ‘clean skin at all times’​.

The popularity of both its facial sheets and body sheets have been spurred on by the convenience of the products, which are portable are can be used ‘anytime and anywhere’​.

Furthermore, the brand undertook marketing campaigns that educated its consumers on when and how the cleansing sheets could be used, such as after exercise and even throughout the day to stay fresh.

According to Kao, the feature that has allowed the cleansing sheets to top the market is the quality of its sheets, which were improved in 2018 to be tough and durable for repeated wipes while still retaining its soft texture.

“By improving the quality of the sheets, we have responded to the needs of men who always want to be clean.”​

Today, the category has expanded to a variety of products, including deodorising body sheets, unscented facial and body sheets, as well as cooling menthol facial and body sheets.

In 2019, the company collaborated with Japanese retail group Seven & i Holdings to develop a men’s skin care line exclusively for the 7-Eleven Japan chain of convenience stores.

Aimed at Japanese salarymen, the Men’s Bioré SMART series was developed to be ‘speedy’ and convenient.

It launched with three multifunctional products including the Men’s Bioré SMART facial sheets, which function as a cleanser as well as a toner and contained hyaluronic acid to moisturise the skin.

Men’s market continuing to shift

The attitude toward male cosmetics has seen a shift over the past decade, driven by a number of factors including the rise of social media.

According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the global male grooming market is expected to be worth $166 billion by 2022.

The same report noted that APAC is expected to account for the highest growth rate throughout the forecast period, owing to the upsurge in demand from countries such as China and India.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 and the necessity of remote working, Kao’s own consumer research has found that men have grown increasingly concerned about looking presentable for video meetings.

To keep up with the changing needs of men during the pandemic era, Kao recently expanded the Men’s Biore SMART line into colour cosmetics with a concealer

The concealer can be used to cover up blemishes like acne scars and dark circles quickly and conveniently, thanks to the portable stick format of the product.