An investigation into the attitudes of service providers towards men seeking beauty & hair services in Mombasa, Kenya

Abstract

Despite the fact that the cosmetic industry is traditionally associated with women; there is an increasing demand for cosmetics by men. The male niche cosmetic market is growing at a fast pace and is gradually representing an important opportunity for all stakeholders in the industry. The study was descriptive and limited to Mombasa city. The population included all beauty and hair services registered by the Mombasa Municipal Council in Mombasa city. Questionnaires were the main mode of data collection. The study utilized a questionnaire set out in a likert scale to get responses from the sample population. The data was analyzed and the study expected to find the attitudes of service providers towards men consumption of beauty and hair services in the city. The study found out that service providers have a positive attitude towards men using beauty and hair services. As a way of recommendation, special marketing considerations must be realized to facilitate these purchases since men are still hesitant to browse through the local store’s beauty aisle.Companies producing beauty and hair products should adopt market segmentation. Men products are specific to men and they should be separated from that of the women. Men have different needs and priorities. Issues that are important to all men include convenience, a “male friendly” environment and services targeting men. Companies marketing men’s beauty and hair products should invest more in marketing and advertising, since advertising has a strong impact on consumers, marketers should take into consideration the factors such as the desire of men to increase their self-images, be physically attractive and convey a youthful appearance when formulating their advertising programs.