French women top cosmetics consumption

PARIS, Feb 10 (AFP) – France’s powerful perfume and cosmetics industry Tuesday reported a sweet 2003, with domestic and world sales up 1.6 percent and the French still the globe’s top users of beauty products and fragrancies.

In spite of global gloom, war, pandemics, currency problems and protectionist policies in some parts of the world, the Federation of Perfume Industries reported global sales of
EUR 13.594 billion (wholesale pre-tax) – up 2.8 percent on the domestic market and up 0.5 percent in exports.

French products were sold to 202 countries, making the sector the country’s fourth biggest exporter (excluding arms) after aeronautics and space industry, drinks and automobiles.

Average yearly growth in the decade spanning 1994-2003 was a whopping 5.2 percent.

While Europe remained the strongest buyer of French-made perfumes, cosmetics, shampoos and general bathroom toiletries, the industry complained of a 5.2 percent drop in sales to non-EU countries, with Poland and Russia down 9.6 and 5.6 percent respectively, though sales to Turkey increased 5.3 percent.

The Far East as usual was the second biggest market for the French industry, but saw a 6.2 percent drop in 2003 and threw up a few surprises – South Korea was down 23 percent and Hong Kong dropped 11 percent, but new markets China and India grew 62 and 34 percent respectively.

In country terms, Germany was the top client for the French perfume and cosmetics industry, followed by Britain, Spain, the United States and Italy.

The devouring French taste for sweet-smelling creams and shampoos as well as perfume continued to surprise, with almost half a million bath and shower products sold daily in France, along with 222,000 hair colour products, 325,000 face-care items and 172,000 bottles of perfume, 48,000 of them for men and not including after-shaves.

The Federation of Perfume Industries said the sector sold 27 products per person per year in France, with men’s products accounting for 10.5 percent of the domestic market.

© AFP

                                                              Subject: France news