Why Do People Buy Soap?

[CrafterAl]

I was just thinking about why people buy soap.

I came up with a list of 20 reasons.

Here's why that exercise might be of interest to YOU...

In marketing a product of any kind, it's often helpful to think about the unique features of that product. That's usually described by marketers as the USP or unique selling proposition.

But, before you really give a lot of thought to product, ideally the marketer must consider the "prospect" or potential buyer.

Who are they, and what are they interested in and looking for?

And, oddly enough, most of the time a potential buyer is mostly thinking about herself or himself.

Sadly enough for you, as the potential seller, the potential buyer could hardly care less about you.

They just want benefits to them... That's a subject for another post.

So...

Why would somebody buy soap, anybody's soap? If you want to start a soap business, or grow one, this might be something worth some meditation.

If you make what people want, and get in front of the people that want it, then marvelous things can happen... like trades of soap for cash...

Care to add your thoughts on why folks buy handmade soap?

 

[biarine]

If I am a buyer why I will buy a soap, first for the hygiene purposes and second I want a natural product that's good for me and my family. That hasn't any bad chemical like SLS that can be harmful for people who allergic to detergent and parabin. I apologies with my grammars

 

[Dorymae]

If I go on sales, I would say the reason is the different fragrances that are available in homemade soap. Also some buy because of the novelty of the soap (I'm thinking of the bakery soaps, cupcakes and cakes). Some like the artistic swirls and colors. Still there are others who have used handmade soaps and they will usually buy for the ingredients, ie goats milk, or OMH.

Honestly if I could please everyone with one soap life would be easier, but soaping would be boring indeed.

 

[navigator9]

People often buy my soap because they like the way it smells, but people continue to buy my soap because of the way it makes their skin feel. I think people may be drawn in initially by looks or fragrance, but if you want to build a business, and want repeat customers, you'd better be offering them a really good product. I had a co-worker stop by my desk yesterday and say, "Do you have any soap? I need soap! I have one bar left and I've been moving it back and forth between the shower and the sink, please tell me you have some because I'm going to shrivel if I don't have it!" Now perversely, that brings a smile to my face. :grin:

 

[shunt2011]

I'm with navigator on this one. I keep a stock of soaps in my office as I have a lot of people hooked and come looking because they love how their skin feels and the fragrances. I work in a hospital so get lots of business (I've been here 36 years).

 

[pamielynn]

WIIFM - What's In It For Me. That's what you need to fulfill for your customer. Nice and simple.

 

[HorseCreek]

Initial purchases I believe also, are from having pretty soap, soap that smells good, and those looking for a "natural" ( I use natural loosely here) alternative to store bought chemical laden soap. I also believe they get hooked for what it does for their skin. I have a bar that I treated or on my SIL first. It's a face bar, full of essential oils that area great for the skin. It kind of stinks really, lol. But I can't keep it in stock because it's doing amazing things for everyone who tries it.
I also think they buy it because it's an affordable treat!

 

[snappyllama]

As I buyer in the past, I liked things that (1) smelled good, (2) looked nice and (3) felt nice. This was true if I was buying at a regular store or from a market.

Sometimes I needed a gift for someone that I didn't know well and figured that everyone likes lotions and potions. Soaps sets make great hostess gifts or something to take to folks in the hospital/nursing home or for people I could not think of what they could possibly want. I was hospitalized for a while with the birth of my daughter and sixteen years later still remember how happy I was that my Mom's friend brought me a BBW raspberry gift set. It made me feel like a normal human every time I used it.

If I was at a fair and nothing else caught my eye, I'd often buy soap, candles or jam to buy something since it's silly to walk around for an hour without buying something. Those products are affordable/low commitment/easy to splurge on. There, I tended to go with ones where the sellers were nice to chat with and also clean-looking. It's amazing to think of all the unpleasant/unkempt sellers I've seen at places over the years. Seriously. If selling something for me to eat or put on my body, have clean fingernails and don't act like I'm bothering you...

 

[ariella42]

I'm usually attracted to scent first and foremost, but how it feels is what determines if I buy it (or another from that seller/company) again. Personally, one of my favorite ways to relax is a long, hot bath with a glass of wine. It's a little luxury, but it's an affordable one, so I like to make the most of it. I tend to like soaps, bubble baths, bath oils, etc. that contribute to that feeling of luxury without breaking the bank. Smelling good is imperative, but I also want the physical aspects of the product to contribute to the feeling of indulgence. For me, the best thing about a soap that has both smells and feels good is that it bring a little of that luxury to the shower and make something as mundane as getting ready for work in the morning a bit more special.

 

[SplendorSoaps]

Soap is a small, affordable luxury that everyone uses in one iteration or another. The people who have purchased soap from me often say that they're buying it as a gift for someone else. I think that they're also buying my soap for the ingredients that *aren't* included (weird chemicals). Also, a lot of people in my area (Seattle-ish) really like to support small businesses and crafters. It brings a sense of community to buy something that's locally made, and makes people feel closer to nature to buy soap (either for themselves or as a gift) that's not mass produced. Several of my customers are repeats. Once they feel the handmade soap difference, they don't want to go back to that old bar of Ivory (or whatever brand...don't mean to pick on just one).

 

[CrafterAl]

When brainstorming one lists the submitted ideas at first without any judging of ideas.

With that spirit, I submit the ideas so far.

• for the hygiene purposes
• want a natural product that's good for me and my family
• no harmful chemicals
• different fragrances that are available
• novelty of the soap (I'm thinking of the bakery soaps, cupcakes and cakes)
• artistic swirls and colors
• buy for the ingredients, ie goats milk, or OMH
• they like the way it smells
• way it makes their skin feel
• looks or fragrance
• love how their skin feels and the fragrances
• having pretty soap, soap that smells good, looking for a "natural" alternative to store bought soap
• what it does for their skin
• an affordable treat
• smelled good
• looked nice
• felt nice
• gift
• buy something
• affordable/low commitment/easy to splurge on
• sellers were nice to chat with
• luxury
• feeling of indulgence
• support small businesses and crafters
• sense of community
• makes people feel closer to nature

Very clearly, as suggested, this list can be divided into reasons for initial purchases and repeat purchases.

The list also gets at some of the emotions involved in soap buying.

Marketers suggest that many purchases are actually made based purely on an emotion with logic then used as justification for the purchase.