Marico Ltd has slashed prices of its Shanti Badam Amla hair oil by as much as 25% in a bid to boost volumes.
The price cut is across stock keeping units (SKUs) of 50 ml, 100 ml, 200 ml and 300 ml, and is a time-bound promotion. The 100 ml SKU of Shanti Badam Amla hair oil, for example, will now cost Rs 20 as against Rs 27 earlier.
The move is clearly aimed at increasing its share of volumes and revenues in a segment where Marico is at best a fringe player today.
The company is the market leader in the coconut hair oil category with its flagship Parachute brand. However, in the value added hair oils segment, which includes amla and is led by Dabur, it has a small presence.
As per industry estimates, Marico has a 2.6% volume share in value-added hair oils as against 22% for Dabur.
What’s more, amla hair oil currently contributes barely 2% of its hair oil revenues as against 12% of sales for Dabur.
Marico officials could not be reached for comment.
Going by industry sources, Dabur is not planning any price reduction in hair oils immediately, though it is running a 15% consumer offer on 200ml and 500ml stock keeping units.
With the price cut by Marico, the consumer price premium of Dabur’s amla hair oil to that of Marico has expanded from around 20% earlier to nearly 60%.
Analysts Hozefa Topiwalla and Girish Achhipalia of Morgan Stanley wrote in a note to clients last week that they estimate amla hair oil to contribute 12% of Dabur’s consolidated revenue and around 15-20% of its consolidated earnings before interest and tax (EBIT).
“Marico is estimated to have around 7% market share in the amla (heavy) hair oils category whereas Dabur is the market leader with over 70% market share. We estimate that Shanti Badam Amla hair oil contributed around 1.5% of Marico’s revenues and less than 1% of its EBIT and hence Marico’s overall earnings are unlikely to be affected by this price war.
However, if Dabur launches a similar aggressive price war in the coconut hair oil category, it could affect Marico quite adversely,” wrote Topiwalla and Achhipalia.
Dabur has already stepped up ad spend on hair oils.
Dabur’s hair oil portfolio includes the brands Vatika Coconut Hair Oil, Vatika Almond Hair Oil, Badam Oil and Amla Oil.
The Indian hair oil market is estimated to be worth Rs 4,600 crore, of which coconut oil accounts for Rs 1,900 crore and value-added (almond, amla and others) oils the rest.
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