Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Products/themes covered in this Report
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- Figure 1: Definition of low/mid/high MHI groups, by city tier
- Figure 2: Definition of East, South, North and Mid-west consumer groups
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 3: Best- and worst-case forecast of China retail value sales of laundry and fabric care products, 2011-21
- Companies and brands
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- Figure 4: Leading companies’ market share in laundry and fabric care, by retail sales value, China, 2014-15
- The consumer
- More men do laundry at home
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- Figure 5: Laundry responsibilities, March 2016
- Capsule/pod detergent faces challenges in China
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- Figure 6: Usage of laundry products, March 2016
- Complex and different dosing behaviour
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- Figure 7: Cross analysis of whether measuring laundry detergent and using dosing system when doing the laundry, March 2016
- Gel/liquid detergent is considered as the best product
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- Figure 8: Product perception, March 2016
- Overlap in online and offline purchases
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- Figure 9: Purchase channel of laundry and fabric care products, March 2016
- Time-saving, instead of price, is the biggest driver to switch online
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- Figure 10: Reasons for online purchasing, March 2016
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- How can laundry and fabric care products appeal to Chinese consumers’ sense of smell?
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 11: Examples of laundry and fabric care products claiming to prevent/reduce odour of sweat
- Figure 12: Examples of laundry and fabric care products designed for seniors
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- Figure 13: Examples of laundry and fabric care products claim to remove odours from clothes dried indoor
- Figure 14: Fragrance component of laundry and fabric care products launched in China, 2013-16
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- Figure 15: Examples of in-wash scent boosters
- Figure 16: Example of laundry and fabric care products claim to offer dual perfumes
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- Figure 17: Examples of laundry and fabric care products with aromatherapy benefit
- How can pod/capsule detergent overcome barriers in the China market?
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 18: Size of pod/capsule detergent launched in China, 2014-16
- Opportunity for convenient pre-treat products
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 19: Examples of in-wash pre-treat products
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Growth rate slows down
- Premium laundry and fabric care products need to justify their value
- Strongest growth from conditioner/softener segment
Market Size and Forecast
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- Slow growth as a maturing market
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- Figure 20: Retail market size of laundry and fabric care products in China, 2011-16
- Premiumisation and multi-product usage are future growth drivers
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- Figure 21: Best- and worst-case forecast of China retail value sales of laundry and fabric care products, 2011-21
Market Drivers and Challenges
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- Products designed for babies and children push up selling price
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- Figure 22: Percentage of laundry and fabric care products which highlight "can be used for baby or children's clothes", 2013-16
- Fabric care products are ready to take off
- Opportunities for laundry detergents designed for delicate fabrics
- Premium products face challenges
- Volatile price of raw materials
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- Figure 23: Average price of petroleum, 2013-16
- Concentrated detergents receive low acceptance from consumers
Market Segmentation
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- Low growth rate of laundry detergent becomes the new ‘norm’
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- Figure 24: Retail market value of laundry detergents, by segment, 2011-16
- Figure 25: Retail market value of laundry and fabric care products, by segment, 2011-16
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- Figure 26: Best- and worst-case forecast of China retail value sales of laundry detergent, 2011-21
- Strongest growth in conditioner/softener
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- Figure 27: Best- and worst-case forecast of China retail value sales of conditioner and softener, 2011-21
- Laundry aids showing steady growth
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- Figure 28: Best- and worst-case forecast of China retail value sales of laundry aids, 2011-21
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Further consolidation in the market
- Companies tap into online retailing
- Innovation highlights
Market Share
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- Room for small players are further squeezed
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- Figure 29: Leading companies’ market share in laundry and fabric care, by retail sales value, China, 2013-15
- Bluemoon saw sliding market share
- Kao-Jahwa alliance coming to end after 2016
Competitive Strategies
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- ‘Outdoors’ is a new market niche
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- Figure 30: Outdoor detergent products from Kispa
- Brands are embracing e-commerce to drive sales
- Shanghai Disney Resort signed strategic alliance with Liby
- Regional players are looking for breakthrough opportunities
- Luowa stake low tier cities and rural markets
- Back to traditional scent
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- Figure 31: Sandalwood scented liquid detergent from Fan
- AXE emphasizes its advanced functions
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- Figure 32: Laundry and fabric care products from AXE
Who’s Innovating?
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- General innovation trends in the China market
- Safe play by line extension
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- Figure 33: Share of newly launched laundry and fabric care products, by launch type, China, 2013-16
- Hand detergents are growing in NPD
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- Figure 34: Share of newly launched laundry and fabric care products, by sub-category, China, 2013-16
- Liquid detergent makes up bulk of NPD
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- Figure 35: Share of newly launched laundry products, by product format, China, 2013-16
- Convenience-related claims are increasing
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- Figure 36: Top claims in new laundry and fabric care products launched in China, 2013-16
- Production innovations
- New format for laundry detergent
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- Figure 37: Example of laundry wipe
- Fabric care products with anti-pollution benefits
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- Figure 38: Example of fabric care product with anti-pollution benefits
- Underwear detergents, to use in the shower
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- Figure 39: Examples of underwear detergents
- Laundry detergents not only target babies but also pregnant women
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- Figure 40: Examples of laundry detergents which target both babies and pregnant women
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Men are taking on more laundry duties
- Half of capsule detergent users dropped out after trial
- About half of consumers measure exact amounts of laundry detergent and conditioner/softener
- Gel/liquid detergent is perceived as best product
- Consumers buy laundry and fabric care products both online and offline
- Time saving is the biggest online purchase trigger
Who Does Laundry at Home
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- Laundry responsibilities still fall to the women
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- Figure 41: Laundry responsibilities, March 2016
- But men are trying to take on more duties
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- Figure 42: Percentage of male respondents who claim they take the main responsibility for doing the laundry, April 2015 and March 2016
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- Figure 43: Percentage of male respondents who claim they take the main responsibility for doing the laundry, by demographics, March 2016
Types of Laundry and Fabric Care Products Used
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- Half of capsule detergent users dropped out after trial
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- Figure 44: Usage of laundry products, March 2016
- 59% of people using both powder and gel/liquid detergent products
- More using soap bar than powder
- Germicide liquid shows strong performance
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- Figure 45: Usage of fabric care products, March 2016
- Consumers aged 30-39 are multi-product users
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- Figure 46: Usage of laundry and fabric care products, by age, March 2016
Laundry Habits
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- Consumers in China prefer running small loads
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- Figure 47: Waiting for a full wash load vs running small loads, March 2016
- Separate lights and darks most common
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- Figure 48: Separating lights and darks laundry vs mixed loads, March 2016
- The way consumers dose detergent explains the dynamic market environment
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- Figure 49: Laundry detergent dosing behaviour, March 2016
- Less than half of consumers measure exact amounts of laundry products
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- Figure 50: Ways of measuring product amount to use, March 2016
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- Figure 51: Cross analysis of whether measuring laundry detergent and using a dosing system when doing the laundry, March 2016
- Similar usage pattern when it comes to fabric conditioner/softener
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- Figure 52: Whether measuring fabric conditioner/softener and using dosing devices when doing the laundry, March 2016
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- Figure 53: Cross analysis of whether measuring fabric conditioner/softener and using dosing devices when doing the laundry, March 2016
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- Figure 54: Conditioner/softener products with rinse-free claim
Product Perception
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- Gel/liquid detergent is perceived as better than others
- Opportunities for soap bar
- Capsule/pod detergent struggles in the China market
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- Figure 55: Product perception, March 2016
- How can capsule/pod detergent products attract non-users?
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- Figure 56: Product perception of capsule/pod detergent, by user and non-user, March 2016
Purchase Channel
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- Consumers buy from both online and offline
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- Figure 57: Purchase channel of laundry and fabric care products, March 2016
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- Figure 58: Cross analysis of purchase channel of laundry and fabric care products, March 2016
Reasons for Online Purchasing
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- Time saving is the biggest driver, but closely followed by varieties and low price
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- Figure 59: Reasons for online purchasing, March 2016
- Low price works better than sales promotions and free samples
- Consumer reviews are more important than volume sales
- High earners are looking for choices
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- Figure 60: Reasons for online purchasing, by monthly household income level, March 2016
- Those who only buy online are driven by home delivery services
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- Figure 61: Reasons for online purchasing, by purchase channel, March 2016
Meet the Mintropolitans
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- Mintropolitans leap at niche laundry and fabric care products
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- Figure 62: Usage of laundry products, by consumer classification, March 2016
- More likely to follow usage instructions
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- Figure 63: Laundry detergent dosing behaviour, by consumer classification, March 2016
- Figure 64: Conditioner/softener dosing behaviour, by consumer classification, March 2016
- Online shoppers looking for convenience, variety and product reviews
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- Figure 65: Reasons for online purchasing, by consumer classification, March 2016
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 66: China laundry and fabric care market, by value, 2011-21
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Appendix – Market Segmentation
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- Figure 67: China laundry and fabric care market, by segment, 2011-21
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Appendix – Methodology and Definitions
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- Methodology
- Fan chart forecast
- Abbreviations
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