Consumers are snapping up whole body deodorants for everything from their pits to their privates—but does this new segment have legs? Do sales of these new forms of deodorants steal from existing forms or deliver incremental sales?Retailers ponder these questions as they decide what to add to planograms in the already crowded $5.3 billion deodorant category, as tracked by Circana.Lume Whole Body deodorant jolted the sleepy category when it was created in 2017 by Shannon Klingman, a board-certified gynecologist and obstetrician. While Lume provided the fuel, whole body options aren’t the only news in the once mundane antiperspirant/deodorant category.“There is a lot going on in the deodorant category to propel its growth. Premiumization, along with minimalist trends, have been drivers, as consumers expect deodorant ingredient formulations to deliver additional benefits for the skin beyond sweat and odor control,” says Elise Morgan, Category and Shopper Insights at The Emerson Group.“The rise in ‘natural’ brands that do not contain chemicals [e.g., aluminum] can be more sustainable and often deliver on other benefits such as vegan have contributed. Then, add whole body formats, which has become the hot trend of late and a rare disruption in a category like deodorant that seems to be filling a legitimate need,” she adds.That’s translated into gains. Deodorant is in a unique place right now, experts say, relative to other personal care categories, showing growth in both dollars (+9.2%) and growth in units (+0.4%), according to Circana for the 52 weeks ended September 8, 2024.