Cosmetics and perfume market in Spain - statistics & facts
In terms of segments, skin care shows the greatest potential within the beauty and personal care industry in Spain, making up almost one-third of the entire market. Decorative cosmetics, on the other hand, hold the smallest share in the market. However, decorative cosmetics have the highest year-on-year growth, followed by perfumes and fragrances.
International trade of perfume and cosmetics plays a significant role in Spain’s status as one of the leading European markets for these products, with exports ultimately reaching a value of six billion euros.
Leading cosmetics companies in Spain
The Spanish cosmetics market is dominated by both subsidiaries of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and local businesses. Among the leading perfume and cosmetics wholesalers in Spain are the French cosmetic giant, L’Oréal, the American MNE, Johnson & Johnson, and the German Beierdorf AG, who owns the Nivea brand. As for Spanish businesses, the Málaga-based Perfumerías Primor takes the lead, followed by Clarel, a brand of Beauty by Dia.Furthermore, with over 600 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) located in Spain, the number of SMEs in the cosmetics manufacturing sector is one of the highest in comparison to other European countries. Still, there is no Inditex equivalent in the Spanish beauty sector.
Preferred sales channels
While the mass market is still the number one distribution channel for perfumes and cosmetics in Spain, pharmacies make up a significant percentage of sales. It comes as no surprise that pharmacies are the leading purchase channels for dermocosmetics in Spain, a type of product that lies between cosmetics and dermatology.Despite online shopping experiencing a surge in recent years, Spaniards clearly prefer the offline channels, buying cosmetics, perfumes, and personal care products in physical stores rather than online.