Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Market sees third consecutive year of decline
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- Figure 1: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK retail value sales of laundry detergents, fabric conditioners and fabric care products, 2013-23
- Companies and brands
- Persil leads laundry detergents
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- Figure 2: Brands’ value shares in laundry detergents, year to July 2018
- Comfort grows while Lenor falls back in fabric conditioners
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- Figure 3: Brands’ value shares in fabric conditioners, year to July 2018
- Declining value of Vanish dents specialist product sales
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- Figure 4: Brands’ value shares in wash treatments, year to July 2018
- Ironing enhancers dominated by own-label
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- Figure 5: Brands’ value shares in ironing enhancers, year to July 2018
- The consumer
- Gender gap remains
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- Figure 6: Laundry responsibilities, by gender, June 2018
- Everyday washers favour powder
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- Figure 7: Frequency of doing the laundry, June 2018
- Concentrated liquid/gel format under pressure from pods
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- Figure 8: Usage of laundry detergents in the last 12 months, June 2018
- Only 54% use fabric conditioner
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- Figure 9: Usage of fabric conditioning and care products in the last 12 months, June 2018
- Pre-laundry tasks are common
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- Figure 10: Laundry task types, June 2018
- The trend towards hypoallergenic laundry
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- Figure 11: Attitudes towards laundry detergents, fabric conditioners and fabric care, June 2018
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Laundry detergents cannibalise sales of fabric care
- The facts
- The implications
- Skin health and the environment present growth opportunities
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Market sees third consecutive year of decline
- Skin health plays a role
- Manufacturers pushing pod format in detergents
- Fabric care pressured by advances in detergents
- Supermarkets grow sales with competitive pricing
- Fewer families = reduced washing needs
- Number of households continues to rise
- Weather conditions to affect consumer behaviour
- Allergies to be a key consideration
Market Size and Forecast
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- Decline in value of laundry detergents stalls…
- …as decline in value of fabric care gains momentum
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- Figure 12: UK retail value sales of laundry detergents, fabric conditioners and fabric care products, at current and constant prices, 2013-23
- Decline in market may accelerate again
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- Figure 13: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK retail value sales of laundry detergents, fabric conditioners and fabric care products, 2013-23
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
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- Laundry detergents
- Skin health plays a role
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- Figure 14: UK retail value sales of laundry detergents, by formulation, years ending May 2017 and 2018
- Manufacturers pushing pod format
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- Figure 15: UK retail value sales of laundry detergents, by product format, years ending May 2017 and 2018
- Gem formats make their entrance
- Fabric care
- Fabric care under pressure from multifunctional detergents
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- Figure 16: UK retail value sales of fabric care products*, years ending May 2017 and 2018
- Fabric conditioner sales flat
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- Figure 17: UK retail value sales of fabric conditioners, by type, years ending May 2017 and 2018
- Whitener segment steals share from stain removers
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- Figure 18: UK retail value sales of wash treatment products, by type, years ending May 2017 and 2018
Channels to Market
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- Supermarkets grow sales with competitive pricing
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- Figure 19: UK retail value sales of laundry detergents, by outlet type, 2016-18
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- Figure 20: smol laundry product subscription service, 2018
- Online channels offer growth potential
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- Figure 21: UK retail value sales of fabric care products, by outlet type, 2016-18
Market Drivers
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- Birth rate flatlines
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- Figure 22: Trends in number of live births (thousands), and mean age of mothers at the birth of their child, England and Wales, 2010-17
- Number of households to grow
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- Figure 23: UK households, by size, 2013-23
- Employment change to affect sector
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- Figure 24: Employment trends (thousands), by gender, 2013-23
- Financial confidence stagnates
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- Figure 25: Trends in current financial situation compared to a year ago, July 2011-July 2018
- Laundry a key battleground in supermarket price war
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- Figure 26: Type of store where the most money is spent in a typical month, September 2016 and September 2017
- Weather conditions to affect consumer behaviour
- Environmental awareness rises
- Allergies to be a key consideration
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- Figure 27: Allergy UK approval seals, 2018
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Persil leads laundry detergents
- Comfort grows while Lenor falls back in fabric conditioners
- NPD in detergent capsules grows
- Launch activity in fabric care bounces back
- P&G alone now half of all adspend
- Consumers struggle to differentiate between leading brands
- Vanish struggles for sales but resonates with consumers
Market Share
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- Persil leads laundry detergents
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- Figure 28: Brand shares in laundry detergents, years ending July 2017 and 2018
- Comfort grows while Lenor falls back in fabric conditioners
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- Figure 29: Brand shares in fabric conditioners and tumble dryer enhancers, years ending July 2017 and 2018
- Declining value of Vanish dents specialist product sales
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- Figure 30: Brand shares in wash treatments*, years ending July 2017 and 2018
- Ironing enhancers dominated by own-label
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- Figure 31: Brand shares in ironing enhancers*, years ending July 2017 and 2018
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Laundry detergents
- NPD in capsules grows
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- Figure 32: New product launches in the automatic laundry detergents sub-category, by format type, January 2015-June 2018
- Figure 33: Examples of capsule laundry detergent launches, 2017-18
- Gem format makes its mark
- Spike in new packaging ends
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- Figure 34: New product launches in the laundry detergents category, by launch type, January 2015-June 2018
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- Figure 35: Examples of alternative packaging in laundry detergent launches, 2017-18
- Figure 36: Ariel Purclean detergent, 2018
- Unilever retains NPD lead
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- Figure 37: New product launches in the UK laundry detergents category, by ultimate company (based on top seven for 2017) and other, January 2015-June 2018
- Figure 38: Method Smartclean technology laundry detergent range, 2018
- Rising claims linked to skincare
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- Figure 39: Top 10 claims in the UK laundry detergent market (based on leading claims for 2017), 2016 and 2017
- Figure 40: Examples of laundry detergent launches promoting skin health, 2017-18
- Fabric care
- Launch activity bounces back
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- Figure 41: New product launches in the fabric care category, by launch type, January 2015-June 2018
- Figure 42: Comfort Perfume Deluxe range, 2018
- Figure 43: Lenor Parfum des Secrets range, 2018
- Uptick in underperforming categories
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- Figure 44: New product launches in the fabric care market, by product type, January 2015-June 2018
- Figure 45: Fairy non-bio laundry aid range, 2018
- P&G seeks to offset Lenor’s decline
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- Figure 46: New product launches in the UK fabric conditioners and fabric care* category, by ultimate company (based on top seven for 2017) and other, January 2015-June 2018
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- Figure 47: Examples of new fabric care product launches, 2017-18
- Dermatologically tested a standout claim in 2017
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- Figure 48: Top 10 claims in the UK fabric care products market (based on leading claims for 2017), 2016 and 2017
- Figure 49: Examples of skin-friendly fabric care product launches, 2017-18
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Adspend continues upward trend
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- Figure 50: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on laundry and fabric care and other washing ancillary products*, January 2015-June 2018
- P&G alone now half of all adspend
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- Figure 51: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on laundry and fabric care products, by advertiser, January 2015-June 2018
- Whitener adspend drags on overall market
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- Figure 52: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on laundry and fabric care products, by sub-category, January 2015-June 2018
- Ariel’s £10 million ad campaign
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- Figure 53: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on laundry detergents, by leading brands, 2017
- Figure 54: Ariel ’Do You Pod?’ advert, 2018
- Lenor outspends Comfort
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- Figure 55: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on fabric care products*, by leading brands, 2017
- Figure 56: Neutral 0% laundry product range, 2018
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Brand Research
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- Brand map
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- Figure 57: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, July 2018
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 58: Key metrics for selected brands, July 2018
- Brand attitudes: Vanish worth paying more for
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- Figure 59: Attitudes, by brand, July 2018
- Brand personality: Ariel and Persil, and Lenor and Comfort inseparable
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- Figure 60: Brand personality – macro image, July 2018
- Persil and Ariel both efficient and effective
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- Figure 61: Brand personality – micro image, July 2018
- Brand analysis
- Vanish struggles for sales but resonates with consumers
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- Figure 62: User profile of Vanish, July 2018
- Comfort outperforms Lenor on majority of metrics
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- Figure 63: User profile of Comfort, July 2018
- Lenor a clear #2 in the sector
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- Figure 64: User profile of Lenor, July 2018
- Persil virtually inseparable from Ariel
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- Figure 65: User profile of Persil, July 2018
- Ariel users more likely to have excellent experience than with Persil
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- Figure 66: User profile of Ariel, July 2018
- Ecover’s brand proposition still not widely known
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- Figure 67: User profile of Ecover, July 2018
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Gender gap remains
- Everyday washers favour powder
- Concentrated liquid/gel format under pressure from pods
- Gems make their mark
- Only 54% use fabric conditioner
- Pre-laundry tasks are common
- The trend towards hypoallergenic laundry
- Consumers confused about laundry product formulas
Laundry Responsibility
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- Gender gap remains
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- Figure 68: Any responsibility for doing the laundry at home, by gender and age, June 2018
- Figure 69: Any responsibility for buying laundry detergents, by gender and age, June 2018
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- Figure 70: Any responsibility for buying fabric care products, by gender and age, June 2018
Frequency of Laundry
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- Everyday washers favour powder
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- Figure 71: Frequency of doing the laundry, June 2018
- Consumers encouraged to do the laundry less frequently
Usage of Laundry Detergents
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- Concentrated liquid/gel format under pressure from pods
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- Figure 72: Usage of laundry detergents in the last 12 months, June 2018
- Gems make their mark
Usage of Fabric Conditioners and Fabric Care Products
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- Only 54% use fabric conditioner
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- Figure 73: Usage of fabric conditioning and care products in the last 12 months, June 2018
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- Figure 74: Persil Powergems and Persil Powercaps website banners, August 2018
Laundry Routines
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- Pre-laundry tasks are common
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- Figure 75: Laundry task types, June 2018
- Drying methods affected by weather and housing
Attitudes towards Laundry Detergents, Fabric Conditioners and Fabric Care
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- The trend towards hypoallergenic laundry
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- Figure 76: Attitudes towards laundry detergents, fabric conditioners and fabric care, June 2018
- Scented detergents may be denting conditioner sales
- Consumers confused about laundry product formulas
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- Forecast methodology
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 77: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2013-23
- Figure 78: UK retail value sales of laundry detergents, at current and constant prices, 2013-23
- Figure 79: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK retail value sales of laundry detergents, 2013-23
- Figure 80: UK retail value sales of fabric conditioners, at current and constant prices, 2013-23
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- Figure 81: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK retail value sales of fabric conditioners, 2013-23
- Figure 82: UK retail value sales of wash treatments, at current and constant prices, 2013-23
- Figure 83: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK retail value sales of wash treatments, 2013-23
- Figure 84: UK retail value sales of ironing enhancers, at current and constant prices, 2013-23
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- Figure 85: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK retail value sales of ironing enhancers, 2013-23
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Appendix – Companies and Brands
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- Figure 86: New product launches in the laundry detergent category, own-label vs branded, January 2015-June 2018
- Figure 87: New product launches in the fabric care category, own-label vs branded, January 2015-June 2018
- Figure 88: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on laundry and fabric care products, by media type, January 2015-June 2018
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