Revlon targets older women to boost sales

It seems that as part of a turnaround effort, Revlon, the New York-based cosmetic company, is turning to the “older women”. The company has just unveiled its biggest launch in more than a decade, Vital Radiance, a line of makeup formulated for older women.

The article in Business Week explains that:

Largely forgotten as Revlon and other competitors such as L'Oreal SA have focused on age-defying beauty products for women in their 30s and 40s, the segment is becoming a hot new opportunity. Female heads of household over age 45 account for about 69.3 percent of cosmetic purchases at mass retailers, according to data supplied to Revlon by ACNielsen, a market research company.

L'Oreal, whose Age Perfect collection is aimed at the younger boomer, is slated to introduce this fall a cosmetics and skin care collection exclusively marketed to women in their 50s and 60s. Meanwhile, Procter & Gamble Co. which has an age-defying beauty line called Cover Girl's Advanced Radiance, is studying the older market, according to Dr. Sarah Vickery, a senior scientist at P&G's cosmetics division.

OK, so it looks as if the older woman has finally stirred marketers into action. What will be the catalyst to do the same for the older man? Dick Stroud