Arrid is the brand that was created and owned by Carter-Wallace Inc. Arrid is a brand of deodorant and body wash, and it was prevalent several years ago. However, recently, people from the United States started to report failing to find the production of Arrid in supermarkets. It might have happened for many reasons; perhaps little information about the situation is available. It is essential to examine the current situation with the brand and its competitors to conduct an analysis.
Industry Analysis
Currently, there are many rivals of the brand. For example, Dove, Secret, Degree Men, Old Spice are competitors to Arrid. Unfortunately, there is no updated information on Arrid’s sales in recent years. However, it is known that the company’s sales reached 1 million dollars by 1935 (Parker, 2020). It became an enormous success for Arrid, but the brand’s production disappeared almost completely. Indeed, it is possible to look at the sales of Arrid’s competitors. For instance, according to the statistics, Dove brand made 203,9 million dollars in sales in 2019 (Statista, 2021a). Secret’s sales constituted about 150 million dollars, while the Old Spice brand reached sales of 123,3 million dollars in 2019 (Statista, 2021a). As seen from the statistics of 2019, Dove became the most sold brand of deodorants among others, and it is hard to compare its success to Arrid’s sales.
Despite the high sales in rival brands, the market shares of rivals vary significantly. For instance, Dove’s share constitutes 6,4 percent among the most famous deodorant brands (Statista, 2021b). Degree Men is a company owned by Unilever, the agency whose production includes various cleaning products. Degree Men’s share in the market is 7,6 percent of the total (Statista, 2021b). Old Spice brand market share constitutes 4,8 percent among leading deodorant brands, while the share of Secret is 3 percent, according to 2019 statistics (Statista, 2021b). Therefore, it is seen that sales and market shares of the most sold brands are not similar. It is important to note that the deodorant segment holds the most significant share of almost 60 percent, and it is suggested to expand its rate during the forecast period.
Moreover, such brands as Dove and Old Spice are ready to offer consumers non-paraben natural deodorants, which are currently in high demand. Thus, the sales for these brands are expected to be higher during the forecast period. In general, significant trends of the subsectors (cosmetics, body wash, face, and body products) involve safety for the environment, adjustability, and comfort usage and follow current customers’ desires and needs.
Environmental Scan
Among various brands, similar customer trends and tendencies are apparent. For example, natural cosmetics and safe usage have become one of the significant trends of this sector. It is clear that people are becoming more aware of environmental issues and adapting their cosmetic use to a safer degree. Current trends of the segment also include comfort in usage, contemporary, and safety for the environment. Moreover, the consumer’s tendencies also have made past products famous again. For example, wide jeans, 90-s style, and previous trends in makeup are becoming alive again. It is one of the reasons why the Arrid brand is becoming famous again; however, people fail to find it in the market.
For ten years, Arrid was the most sold deodorant among other homogenous products. However, some years ago, environmental and healthcare organizations started to review formulas of the most known cosmetic products. It turned out that Arrid deodorant contains aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly in its composition. It is a regulatory issue that affects the brand due to the established standards of the product technology (Kerin et al., 2020). The substance is considered averagely dangerous for the skin, as it clogs sweat glands and provokes multiple skin diseases. The usage of this component is limited in the United States and Canada currently. It is one of the reasons why Arrid disappeared from shelves in supermarkets.
Indeed, some brands started to promote the naturality of their production and produce vegan and safe goods. For instance, Unilever, which owns Degree Men and Dove, reports that their products are cruelty-free and are not tested on animals. Competing brands of the deodorant segment constantly improve their technology and adjust the product to the consumer’s desire. For example, it is noticed that people are more likely to buy products with recyclable packaging and safe formula (Kerin et al., 2020). Therefore, brands attempt to change the technology of their packaging to be more sold and famous among customers. The changes in the technology and adjusting the product enable many deodorant brands to be available worldwide; thus, they are not affected by political limitations.
Shifts in political, regulatory, and competitive areas are mostly connected to the impact of COVID-19. Many stores were closed during the limitation period, and the production of multiple brands was not sold to a great extent. These quarantine measures affected the group because of the inability to approach the store and buy the product. However, it is possible to find Dove, Old Spice, Secret, and Degree Men products in online markets. Moreover, Arrid, which disappeared from the shops, became available on Amazon. Therefore, this brand becomes an equal competitor to those on online platforms.
Overall, Arrid is a brand that used to have enormous success. However, due to updated and maintained regulatory, medical, and political issues, the deodorant became unavailable in the United States and Canada. The brand’s competitors, such as Dove, Old Spice, Secret, and Degree Men, adjusted their formula to correspond with common standards. The rivalry companies attempt to follow new customer trends and adapt to safety for the environment and convenience. Arrid appeared online, and it made the product competitive again.
References
Kerin, R., Hartley, S., & Rudelius, W. (2020). Marketing (15th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Parker, E. (2020). Is Arrid extra dry clear gel deodorant discontinued? (With update!). Conspiracy of Good.
Statista. (2021a). Sales share of the leading deodorant brands in the U.S. 2019.
Statista. (2021b). Leading deodorant brands in the U.S. 2019, based on sales.