About the market:

There are around 17 million wash cycles carried out every day by UK consumers and, as such, convenience remains key. Products that do the job quickly and effectively appeal to the busy consumer of the 21st Century with much NPD also occurring in the field of laundry aids. Examples of this in the last couple of years include the introduction of a unit-dose fabric conditioner and added-value formulations of stain removal and clothes refreshment products.

However, while convenience is still important, Mintel believes that consumers are increasingly concerned about what is contained in their clothes-washing detergents and laundry aids. Further growth is most likely to be achieved with products marketed as being kinder to the skin and to the environment.

Market drivers such as changes in household structure have led to a growth in smaller households, providing new challenges for manufacturers of detergents. In such households where volume purchasing will be lower, the challenge is to encourage trading up to premium products and formulations.