Americans are changing their ways: According to new research from Mintel, sales of bar soap are declining as more and more consumers are choosing liquid soap.
Sales of bar soap are down about 2.2 percent, and the share of households that use bar soap has dropped from 89 percent to 84 percent.
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Why the sudden shift? Well, according to the research, almost half of consumers think bar soap is covered in germs and less convenient than liquid soap. Soap bars are also easy to drop in the shower and leave behind a residue you constantly have to clean. Today, liquid body wash products account for nearly half of bath category sales.
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Bar soap is more popular among men than women (68 percent versus 60 percent), but that's not the case with our TODAY anchors — Matt Lauer and Al Roker admit to being liquid soap fans. But Tamron Hall commented that she used to use liquid, but now uses bar soap.
There's no right or wrong, it's a personal preference, and time will tell if bar soap will be phased out for trendier, easier-to-use products.