Cosmetics industry runs thanks to export drive

This year will close with a record for Made in Italy cosmetics exports: the trade association Cosmetica Italia estimates, in fact, that they will grow by 15% to a value of 8.1 billion euros, with a projection of a further +10.5% by the end of 2025. In the space of twenty years, the value of exports has quadrupled, doubling its weight on the sector's total turnover (from 23% in 2004 to an estimated 48% by 2024).

This is a significant result that confirms the inelasticity of a sector that, despite geopolitical tensions and the global economic crisis, is not slowing down its race thanks to the excellence that Italian companies in the sector represent, especially abroad. Suffice it to say that 55% of the make-up that reaches the world - 67% if the field is narrowed down to Europe - is developed and produced right in Italy by subcontractors that make innovation their flagship. The turnover of the cosmetics industry is expected to exceed 16.7 billion this year, an increase of 10.5% with a projection of +8% for 2025.

In addition to production, there is a strong expansion phase in the purchase of cosmetics by Italians, which is also a counter-trend given that - despite the good recovery in purchasing power compared to pre-candemic levels - in other sectors there is still a strong propensity to save that conditions spending. The trend is also confirmed by the presence of numerous companies in the sector in the Leader Growth 2025 ranking.

In 2024, the value of the domestic cosmetics market, according to pre-consumption indicators, is close to 13.4 billion with an estimated growth of 7% compared to 2023, largely characterised by the performance in traditional and digital channels with +7.1% and the smaller increase in professional channels with +5.2%. The mass market (such as super and hypermarkets and drugstores) takes the lion's share with a value of expenditure of 5.5 billion, followed by perfumery (2.8 billion), pharmacy (2.2 billion) and e-commerce (1.2 billion).

The perfumery is back on track after the halt suffered by forced closures during the pandemic, when it was overtaken by the pharmacy, and will be the driving force behind next year's expected increase in total beauty product consumption (+6.1%) with a 9.1% leap, followed - in the growth rate ranking - by online sales, which will rise by 7.6%, herbalist shops (+7%), pharmacies (+5.4%) and large-scale retail outlets (+5%). Hairdressing salons (+4.5%) and beauty salons (+4.3%) are doing well, although further behind.