The recession has impacted upon the shopping habits of more than five in ten adults. Buying soap, bath and shower products that are on special offer is top of the mind amongst just over a half of consumers. Almost four in ten consumers even go as far as stock piling products when they see an irresistible promotion on soap, bath and shower products.

Those paying the most for their bath and shower products are more interested than average in green issues, such as choosing showers over baths due to being better for the environment, checking whether ingredients have been tested on animals, buying products with environmentally friendly packaging and buying natural and organic products.

The recession has impacted upon the shopping habits of more than five in ten adults. Buying soap, bath and shower products that are on special offer is top of the mind amongst just over a half of consumers. Almost four in ten consumers even go as far as stock piling products when they see an irresistible promotion on soap, bath and shower products.

Those paying the most for their bath and shower products are more interested than average in green issues, such as choosing showers over baths due to being better for the environment, checking whether ingredients have been tested on animals, buying products with environmentally friendly packaging and buying natural and organic products.

Amongst men, it is the less affluent consumers (social grade DEs) who are heaviest volume users of bath additives and oils. This group includes manual workers with physically demanding occupations who benefit from soaking in the bath to ease muscle aches and pains. There is a bias towards the East and West Midlands, North West and Yorkshire and Humberside, where manual work is higher.

Only 2% of consumers spend £3 or more on bar soap, typically ABs and upmarket shoppers (i.e. shoppers at Waitrose and Marks & Spencer), who buy premium-quality bar soaps, such as those accompanying fragrances or from specialist toiletry companies.

When choosing shower or bath products, half of buyers of shower products and almost four in ten buyers of bath products look for moisturising benefits. Women and 16-24-year-olds are the most likely to buy shower and bath products which bear the moisturising claim. Six in ten consumers who spend £3 or more on shower products look for moisturising ingredients (the most important product benefit sought), compared to half of buyers of bath products spending the same amount (the same proportion of whom look for relaxing or pampering products

Almost seven in ten consumers look for shower or bath products that are suitable for the whole family.

Young women (16-34-year-olds) and part-time workers are more likely to buy bath products that claim to relax and pamper. Part-time working is biased towards women who are raising a family, so they are likely to enjoy a bath after a busy day working and looking after their family. Just over half consumers spending £3 or more on bath products look for relaxing and pampering ingredients.