A rebounding U.S. economy in 2004 was unable to reinvigorate sales of hair care products. Last year, sales grew less than 1% to $9.5 billion, according to Chicago-based research firm Euromonitor International. The market for hair care products is very mature, making opportunities for value growth limited. Consumers did, however, display greater interest in "mass-tige" and salon-inspired hair care products such as John Frieda's Brilliant Brunette. Though available in mass-market channels, these hair care products mimic offerings sold in salons with regard to quality and packaging, and typically carry retail prices above those of mass-market brands like Pantene or Garnier Fructis.
However, shifts in spending away from traditional retailers, like drugstores and supermarkets, and into discount channels, like dollar stores and outlets such as Wal-Mart and Target, have kept hair care sales relatively flat in value terms. Salon hair care was the best performing subsector in 2004, although value sales of salon hair care grew slightly more than1%, to $2.9 billion.