Nivea In Trouble: Or Is it?

The recent appointment of Siddhartha Juneja as Nivea's new E-commerce Head comes at a fascinating time in India's digital retail landscape. At Vumonic Datalabs, our granular analysis of online channel market shares reveals compelling trends that may have influenced this strategic move. Let's dive deep into Nivea's performance across their top three categories on Nykaa, one of India's leading beauty and personal care e-commerce platforms.

1. Skincare Category: Stability Amid Growing Competition

‍

‍

The skincare category presents an interesting story of resilience. Nivea has maintained a consistent 2% market share over the past few years, despite significant market changes:

• The number of competing brands has grown by 50%, from approximately 200 pre-COVID to 300 in 2025
• Despite this influx of new competitors, the top 5 brands have maintained their collective market share
• New entrants appear to be competing primarily among themselves rather than capturing share from established leaders

2. Fragrances: A Concerning Decline

‍

‍

The fragrance category reveals one of Nivea's key challenges:

• Market share has declined dramatically from 8% pre-COVID to approximately 2% today
• While other top 5 brands show positive trends, Nivea's performance suggests a need for strategic intervention
• The category has seen a 57% increase in brand presence, growing from 70 to 110 unique brands
• Unlike skincare, new entrants in this category show more potential for market disruption

3. Bath & Body: The Most Revealing Category

‍

‍

The bath and body category presents perhaps the most concerning trends for established brands:

• Nivea's market share has dropped from 5% to 2.5%
• Unlike other categories, all top 5 brands are experiencing market share erosion
• The market structure has shifted dramatically:
  • Pre-COVID: 50/50 split between top 5 brands and others
  • Current: Others now command 65% of the market, representing a 15% shift away from established leaders

‍

Strategic Implications

The data reveals several key insights that may have influenced Nivea's leadership decision:

1. Category-Specific Challenges: Each category presents unique challenges, from maintaining position in skincare to reversing decline in fragrances and addressing structural market changes in bath & body.
2. New Competition Dynamics: The significant increase in brand count across all categories suggests a need for more agile e-commerce strategies to compete effectively.
3. Market Structure Evolution: The bath & body category's structural shift toward smaller brands may indicate a broader trend that requires immediate attention.

Looking Forward

Siddhartha Juneja's appointment comes at a crucial time for Nivea India. The data suggests that success in this role will require:

• Category-specific strategies to address varying competitive dynamics
• Innovation in e-commerce approaches to compete with nimble new entrants
• Potential reorganization of digital channel strategies, particularly in categories showing significant share erosion

This analysis, while focused on Nykaa's platform, provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities awaiting Nivea's new e-commerce leadership.

Note: This analysis is based on Nykaa platform data only. Market dynamics may vary across other e-commerce platforms.

‍