Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Gain in sales, despite decline of key demographic groups
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- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of home laundry products, at current prices, 2011-21
- Figure 2: Any usage of select laundry products, by parental status, May 2016
- Concerns about safety of scent
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- Figure 3: Select attitudes toward scent, by parental status, May 2016
- Powder detergent is continuing to dissolve away
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- Figure 4: Laundry product usage, any use, May 2016
- The opportunities
- Opportunity to appeal to urban dwellers, single-person households
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- Figure 5: Any use of single-dose pods, by area, May 2016
- Scent is moving to center stage
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- Figure 6: Importance of scent as purchase influencer – laundry detergent, by generation, May 2016
- Personalize laundry shopping experience
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- Figure 7: Select shopping influencers, by gender, May 2016
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Positive growth in home laundry category reverses decline
- Laundry detergent dominates sales, though laundry care leading growth
- Smaller households mean more individuals are doing laundry
- Growing influence of Hispanic community in add-on segments
- Importance of scent in laundry and personal care
Market Size and Forecast
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- Home laundry products have positive sales
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- Figure 8: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of home laundry products, at current prices, 2011-21
- Positive growth expected to continue
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- Figure 9: Total US retail sales and forecast of home laundry products, at current prices, 2011-21
Market Breakdown
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- Positive detergent sales bring up home laundry category
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- Figure 10: Share of home laundry product sales, by segment, 2016
- Figure 11: Total US retail sales and forecast of home laundry products, by segment, at current prices, 2011-21
- Laundry care has highest growth rate
- Fabric softener sheets show resilience
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- Figure 12: Total US retail sales of home laundry products, by segment, at current prices, 2014 and 2016
Market Perspective
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- Scent is polarizing in adjacent household categories
Market Factors
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- Consumer confidence is up
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- Figure 13: Consumer Sentiment Index, January 2007-May 2016
- Household income among families is growing
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- Figure 14: Median household income of families with children and national average, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2004-14
- Single-person and urban households have growing influence in laundry
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- Figure 15: Laundry shopping responsibility, by household size, May 2016
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- Figure 16: Any use of single-dose pods, by area, May 2016
- Impact of Hispanic consumers is high on add-on products
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- Figure 17: Regular use of any add-ons, by race and Hispanic origin, May 2016
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- P&G sales continue increase with pods and scent boosters
- Liquid detergent helps Church & Dwight
- Acquisition by Henkel will likely alter competitive landscape
Manufacturer Sales of Home Laundry Products
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- Single-dose detergent driving sales growth for P&G
- Liquid detergent with natural claims lead sales for Church & Dwight
- New pressure from German contender Henkel
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- Figure 18: MULO sales of home laundry products, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
What’s Working?
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- Single-dose gaining ground through innovations and advertising
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- Figure 19: Any current use (net) of single-dose detergents, by area, May 2016
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- Figure 20: Getting sentimental with scent – New Gain commercial featuring Ty Burrell, June 2016
- Laundry care is surging around scent
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- Figure 21: MULO sales of laundry care, by P&G and Church & Dwight, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
What’s Struggling?
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- Private label is on the decline
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- Figure 22: MULO sales of private label home laundry products, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
- Powder detergents continue to slide
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- Figure 23: Total US sales of select detergent types, at current prices, 2010-16
What’s Next?
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- Division between fabric softeners and scent boosters will blur
- Niche brands appeal to natural consumers
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- Figure 24: Select attitudes toward scent, May 2016
- Concentrated formulas in single-dose packs
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Gender imbalance in laundry behavior shows women are more engaged
- Liquid detergents are most popular and scent is key
- Fabric softeners are popular among families
- In-wash scent boosters still gathering momentum
- Samples and personalized discounts connect best with consumers
- Women tend to vary detergent by load while Hispanics mix-and-match
- Natural and unique scents are important when choosing products
Laundry Responsibility
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- Similar number of adults responsible for doing laundry and shopping for products
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- Figure 25: Responsibility for doing laundry and shopping for products, May 2016
- Gender gap between those responsible for doing laundry and shopping
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- Figure 26: Responsibility for doing laundry and shopping for products – Mainly responsible, by gender, May 2016
- Even distribution of laundry responsibility across ethnic lines
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- Figure 27: Responsibility for doing laundry, by race and Hispanic origin, May 2016
Use of Home Laundry Products
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- Liquid detergent has most widespread usage
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- Figure 28: Laundry product usage, any use, May 2016
- Millennials are heavier users of add-on products
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- Figure 29: Regular use of any add-ons, by generation, May 2016
- Hispanics follow suit with Millennials in add-on products
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- Figure 30: Regular use of any add-ons, by race and Hispanic origin, May 2016
Usage and Purchase Influencers of Laundry Detergent
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- Liquid detergent has strongest regular use
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- Figure 31: Laundry detergent usage, May 2016
- Single-dose users skew younger
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- Figure 32: Regular usage of single-dose pods, by generation, May 2016
- In their own words
- Important attributes for detergent are scent and cold water effectiveness
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- Figure 33: Purchase influencers, laundry detergent, May 2016
- Generational divide in the role of scent in detergent
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- Figure 34: Scent-related purchase influencers, laundry detergent, by generation, May 2016
- Households with children have unique laundry needs
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- Figure 35: Select purchase influencers – Laundry detergent, by parental status, May 2016
- In their own words
Usage and Purchase Influencers of Fabric Softener
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- Dryer sheets see greater usage than liquid softener
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- Figure 36: Fabric softener usage, May 2016
- Fabric softener usage higher among households with children
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- Figure 37: Fabric softener usage, any current use, by parental status, May 2016
- Hispanics over index for fabric softener
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- Figure 38: Fabric softener usage, any current use, by race and Hispanic origin, May 2016
- Important attributes for fabric softeners are scent and freshness
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- Figure 39: Purchase influencers, fabric softener, May 2016
- Hispanics more keen on fragrance-free fabric softener
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- Figure 40: Purchase influencers, laundry detergent, by race and Hispanic origin, May 2016
- In their own words
Usage and Purchase Influencers of Scent Boosters
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- Scent boosters are marginally used, but opportunity remains
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- Figure 41: Laundry scent booster usage, May 2016
- Scent boosters most popular among young adults
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- Figure 42: Laundry scent booster – Any usage, by generation, May 2016
- Hispanics use scent booster more than other ethnic groups
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- Figure 43: Laundry scent booster – Any usage, by race and Hispanic origin, May 2016
- Important attributes for scent boosters mirror fabric softener
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- Figure 44: Purchase influencers for scent boosters, May 2016
- Fragrance and size are important attributes for younger adults
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- Figure 45: Select purchase influencers of scent boosters, by generation, May 2016
- In their own words
Shopping Influencers
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- Samples are important
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- Figure 46: Shopping influencers, May 2016
- Women want more personalized discounts
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- Figure 47: Select shopping influencers, by gender, May 2016
- Hispanic shoppers more attracted to in-store marketing
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- Figure 48: Select shopping influencers, by race and Hispanic origin, May 2016
Laundry Behavior
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- Majority vary the amount of detergent per load
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- Figure 49: Laundry attitudes, May 2016
- Women are more likely to mix-and-match
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- Figure 50: Select attitudes toward doing laundry, by gender, May 2016
- Hispanics favor stain removal and mixing-and-matching
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- Figure 51: Select attitudes toward doing laundry, by race and Hispanic origin, May 2016
Attitudes towards Scent
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- Natural scents most popular, but opinion split
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- Figure 52: Attitudes toward scent, May 2016
- Hispanics want more scent options and are willing to pay
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- Figure 53: Select attitudes toward scent, by race and Hispanic origin, May 2016
- Households with children are more worried about allergens
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- Figure 54: Select attitudes toward scent, by parental status, May 2016
- Scents go above and beyond detergents
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- Figure 55: Select attitudes toward scent, by select laundry product users, May 2016
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – Market
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- Figure 56: Total US retail sales and forecast of home laundry products, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2011-21
- Figure 57: Total US retail sales of home laundry products, by segment, at current prices, 2014 and 2016
- Figure 58: Total US retail sales and forecast of laundry detergent, at current prices, 2011-21
- Figure 59: Total US retail sales and forecast of fabric softener liquid, at current prices, 2011-21
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- Figure 60: Total US retail sales and forecast of fabric softener sheets, at current prices, 2011-21
- Figure 61: Total US retail sales and forecast of laundry care, at current prices, 2011-21
- Figure 62: Total US retail sales and forecast of bleach, at current prices, 2011-21
- Figure 63: Total US retail sales of home laundry products, by channel, at current prices, 2011-16
- Market factors
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- Figure 64: Average household size, 2015
- Figure 65: Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2011-21
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Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 66: MULO sales of laundry detergent by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
- Figure 67: MULO sales of liquid fabric softener, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
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- Figure 68: MULO sales of fabric softener sheets, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
- Figure 69: MULO sales of laundry care, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
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- Figure 70: MULO sales of bleach, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
- Figure 71: Share of MULO laundry detergent sales, by format, rolling 52 weeks 2016
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