Hygiene and beauty sees improvement in second half

Sao Paulo-The manufacturers of beauty and hygiene products expect an improvement in demand in the second half, as the Brazilian returning to the optimism.
"We''re back to stay optimistic about the prospects in relation to the future and it also happens with who buys. An optimistic consumer consumes, on average, 20% more, "said the ceo of Brazilian Association of the industry of personal hygiene, perfumery and cosmetics (Abihpec), Joao Carlos Basilio, at an event last Friday (13).
According to him, the expectation of improvement in the confidence of the Brazilian, starting from the second half of this year, is related to the change in Government. "That''s what we expect to happen."
Basilio believes that with the Government under acting command of Michel Temer-after the removal of Dilma Rousseff of the Presidency of the Republic-the Country can initiate an economic recovery. "That''s what everybody expects," he said, stressing, however, that the "[Government] ideal must seek improvements for market growth, no tax increase". "Our tax burden is already high and we have no expectation that increase even more, because it would be unsustainable," he said.
The heavy loss of purchasing power due to the fall in income, rising inflation and unemployment, has caused a change in the habits of consumers that already comes being perceived by the industry, project manager of Kline Factor in South America, Elaine Gerchon. According to her, consumers have changed from tag in search of better prices. "People are changing, for example, the roll-on deodorant brand a little more expensive at an aerosol manufacturer more popular. It''s an attempt to equalize spending ", she explains.
One of the companies that can be benefited by this movement is Unilever, which last year opened a new unit in Solapur (SP) to produce hygiene items.
The unit was inaugurated at a delicate moment for the sector in General. According to a survey conducted by Abihpec, sales of health and beauty products had an indentation of 6% in 2015 in comparison with a year before. According to the entity, the fall was the first registered by segment in 23 years.
The retraction was attributed mainly to the increase in the tax burden, which continued pressing industry sales in 2016.