According to research from Mintel, a marketing intelligence agency, bar soap sales fell 5% between 2010 and 2015.
Mintel says bar soap "suffers from several negative perceptions." Forty eight percent of consumers think bar soaps can be a haven for bacteria and other decidedly unclean stuff. Young consumers believe this the most, with 60% of soap buyers between the ages of 18-24 saying they are squicked out by the idea of germs on their soap.
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