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Australians are spending more and more on quality beauty products, from skincare to haircare.
Founder of supermarket hair care brand, People Haircare, Katherine Ruiz says the haircare industry in particular has become competitive, following suit with the massive rise in popularity of skincare.
“I think that haircare is definitely going to be the next skincare,” she tells Azzet.
“Skincare really paved the way of building out an understanding of different people's skin types, and hair is definitely now moving into that. So there's a lot more knowledge around different people's hair types.”
The Australian haircare industry generates US$1.07 billion in revenue in 2025, with a projected annual growth rate of 2.51%. The industry was also worth US$106.91 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to US$213.27 billion by 2032.
This follows the blueprint of skincare which is currently worth US$180.3 billion globally and is estimated to generate up to US$132 billion by 2029.
Breaking the stigma
Ruiz says the growing competitiveness in the market is due to the emergence of startups and grocery store brands.
“There are a lot of new startup brands entering the space, a lot of young edge entrepreneurs with great ideas changing the way the market looks,” Ruiz says.
“It's not just like those big corporations anymore, and especially in grocery highly competitive so, and the retailers are very cutthroat.”
This includes Ruiz’s brand, People Haircare, which launched three years ago with 17 products in Coles and 23 online.
Since its launch, People Haircare has grown 250% since year one, generates millions of dollars in revenue and has grown 51% in the past year alone according to Ruiz.
“We’ve had pretty much year-on-year growth since our launch in 2022,” she says.
“It’s definitely reflecting people wanting that high-performance product and wanting it to be more accessible and affordable.”
People Haircare is currently available in 800 Coles stores across the country, and Ruiz says it accounts for most of the company’s sales.
“It's where our customers can learn more about our ingredients, connect directly with our community,” she says.
“Both channels do work together, but Coles is definitely where the majority of the volume sits today.”
However, Ruiz says breaking into the market was hard, especially when breaking the stigma of being a grocery shop brand in comparison to luxury haircare.
While more affordable haircare options are on the rise, like People Haircare, products worth US$30 or more are growing three times faster than the lower-priced products, comprising 25% of unit sales.
Most of People Haircare’s products are priced at around A$16, but Ruiz said the company was able to break through the noise and break the supermarket stigma.
“We were just clear, like, our mission was around having a great product and proving you can get great results from a supermarket product,” Ruiz says.
“A lot of feedback I was getting directly from customers, when I was talking to them, was where they were sceptical that this product was going to perform to the level of the product that you bought at the salon.”
“Since people have started using the product, we’ve had hardly any negative feedback.”
Standing out
Ruiz also says a key part of People Haircare’s mission is understanding that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to haircare. To stay true to this mission, the company has a dedicated team focused on styling and product innovation.
Ruiz said the company’s development process is based on reviews and that every product goes through a rigorous process before being stocked on shelves.
"We invest heavily in product development, not just financially, but in time, testing, and listening,” she says.
“We're not here to launch for the sake of it. Each product has to solve a real need, perform to a high standard, and slot seamlessly into everyday routines.
“We also spend a lot of time reading reviews, researching gaps in the market and talking to our community.”
The company’s best seller is their All-in-One Treatment, which has sold over 700,000 units.
While still creating new products and growing in Australia, Ruiz says the next step for the brand is to branch out internationally.
The company is currently interested in branching out to the European and Asian markets.
While attempting to create international partnerships that stay true to the brand's core purpose of being affordable and accessible, Ruiz says People Haircare will also need to work to adapt to other markets and stray away from the supermarket strategy.
“When we were visiting Paris, the advice was that shopping behaviour doesn't so much sit in grocery stores for beauty as much as what it does like here and in the U.S.,” she says.
“It will be dependent on the market, but at its core is just making sure that we are being accessible to as many people as possible, and wherever that meets their beauty needs.”
For entrepreneurs wanting to start their own business, Ruiz said it’s important for them to believe in their brand.
“If you don't believe in it, people will see through that straight away,” she says.
“You need to create something that solves a problem in the market because there are so many brands now, it can be confusing for the customer.”
She also encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to take their time on a product and make sure its right.
“It's probably the full year to formulate the products, because we weren't prepared to compromise on the level of performance, and probably on a personal level, don't assume that people know what you want,” she says.
