The Top 20
P&G tops our list of the biggest beauty companies in the world.
Jamie Matusow, Editor
In our fourth annual ranking of the Top 20 Global Companies, Beauty Packaging takes a look at sales and marketing activities of the leading beauty and personal care products companies throughout the world. No surprise that Procter & Gamble, with a whopping $23 billion in beauty sales, continues to top the list, with L’Oréal and Unilever again running second and third. The first third of the companies, in fact, retains their standings from last year. In general, the industry seems healthy and strong, with most companies posting sales gains within their beauty and personal sales divisions in 2006. All in all, the total amounts to a staggering $115 billion in sales!
The only really noteworthy place-standing change came with Kao, which jumped quite a few notches due to its purchase of Japanese cosmetics frontrunner Kanebo. Both LVMH and Limited Brands edged ahead of Coty. And Henkel, with its focus on hair cosmetics and body care, and its acquisitions of Right Guard, Soft & Dri and Dry Idea from Gillette, rolled into the No. 9 spot. Minor advancements were also noted with Mary Kay and Yves Rocher.
Other strategic moves among our Top 20 included L’Oréal’s two acquisitions of PureOlogy, whose sales in the past 12 months hit $57 million, and The Body Shop, a business highly regarded for its ethical values. Celebrity spokeswomen remained a hot strategy with Kate Moss, Kim Basinger, Reese Witherspoon, Heidi Klum and Jessica Alba all joining the spokesmodel lineup.
Developing markets continue to be a high priority in driving sales, and many companies have initiated some very innovative programs to meet this end. With aging consumers’ ever-growing quest for the Fountain of Youth, demand for anti-aging products continues to soar, with most, if not all, of the companies listed here spending big on R&D to introduce new lines like hair care products designed specifically to meet the problems of aging tresses. While fragrance, in some cases, seems to be an iffy mainstay, certain classic scents continued to pervade, while new launches remained high. Many companies are taking note of the degree to which men want to smell good, too, and have introduced new fragrances in all men’s personal care lines—with great results. Further marking this complex age of globalization, sustainability and competitiveness, many companies are restructuring their management teams to accelerate expansion and improve profitability in a new world market.
Companies were ranked according to fiscal 2006 figures, except as noted. Beauty sales included cosmetics, fragrance and personal care items (hair care, skin care, soap, etc.). Oral care sales, wherever possible, were not included. Estimates are noted within individual profiles. Companies outside the U.S. were ranked based on figures converted to U.S. dollars using the average exchange rate for that company’s fiscal year.
The Top 20
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| Procter & Gamble $23.0 |
| L'Oréal $19.8 |
| Unilever $15.0 |
| Estée Lauder $7.0 |
| Avon $6.1 |
| Shiseido $5.9 |
| Beiersdorf $5.4 |
| Kao $4.1 |
| Henkel $3.6 |
| Johnson & Johnson $3.3 |
| Limited Brands $3.1 |
| LVMH $3.1 |
| Coty $2.9 |
| Colgate-Palmolive $2.8 |
| Mary Kay $2.2 |
| Yves Rocher $1.9 |
| Access Business Group $1.6 |
| Kose $1.5 |
| Amore Pacific $1.3 |
| Revlon $1.3 |
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