Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Slow growth in sales of surface cleaners outpaced by inflation
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- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of household surface cleaners, at current prices, 2011-21
- Shifting attitudes and changing household surfaces phase out laborious cleaners
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- Figure 2: Usage of household surface cleaners, August 2016
- Decline in families could further challenge category sales
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- Figure 3: Family and non-family households, 2005-15
- The opportunities
- Safer formulas gain favor among parents
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- Figure 4: Select purchase Influencers – Any rank, by parental status, August 2016
- Health benefits of wipes add incentive for year-round use
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- Figure 5: Select cleaning attitudes, by parental status, August 2016
- Rise of smaller households provides opportunity for compact packaging
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- Figure 6: Interest in trying packaging that is easier to store, by generation, August 2016
- Younger and multicultural adults value scent
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- Figure 7: Scent – Any rank, by race and Hispanic origin and by generation, August 2016
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Slow growth in surface cleaner sales outpaced by inflation
- Strongest performing segment are disposable wipes
- Surface cleaners account for roughly 10% of total household care sales
- Declining family households takes away from key demographic
Market Size and Forecast
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- Spending on surface cleaners is reaching a plateau
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- Figure 8: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of household surface cleaners, at current prices, 2011-21
- Future growth is limited to innovation in premium products
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- Figure 9: Total US retail sales and forecast of household surface cleaners, at current prices, 2011-21
Market Breakdown
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- All-purpose leads sales, while wipes are strongest performing segment
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- Figure 10: Share of total US retail sales of household surface cleaners, by segment, at current prices, 2016 (est)
- Floor cleaners and furniture polish continue losing share
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- Figure 11: Total US retail sales of floor cleaners and furniture polish, at current prices, 2011-2016 (est)
Market Perspective
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- Surface cleaners serve a functional need in value-driven category
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- Figure 12: Share of household care product sales, by category, 2016 (est)
Market Factors
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- Declining homeownership can negatively impact surface cleaner sales
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- Figure 13: National homeownership rate, 2010-16
- Households with children as share of total households are declining
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- Figure 14: Family and non-family households, 2005-15
- Growing Hispanic community may cushion sales of surface cleaners
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- Figure 15: Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2011-21
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Convenience and value drive sales of wipes, all-purpose cleaners
- Sales of premium, specialized cleaners reach niche consumers
- Weak sales for surface cleaners that involve labor
- Non-toxic, combined scent all-purpose cleaners are next in line
Manufacturer Sales of Surface Cleaners
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- Clorox dominates MULO sales, leads market share for disposable wipes
- Colgate-Palmolive is strongest performing manufacturer
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- Figure 16: MULO sales of household surface cleaners, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
What’s Working?
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- Convenience and improved thickness drive sales of wipes
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- Figure 17: Kroger multi-tasking clean-it-all direct mail ad, 2016
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- Figure 18: MULO sales of Clorox disposable wipes, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
- Value brands gaining among Hispanics, driving sales of Fabuloso brand
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- Figure 19: MULO sales of Colgate-Palmolive all-purpose cleaners, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
- Specialized cleaners find greater appeal among niche consumers
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- Figure 20: Usage of specialty cleaners (stainless steel, granite), by income and by primary residence, August 2016
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- Figure 21: MULO sales of Weiman specialized cleaners, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
What’s Struggling?
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- Labor-intensive products losing share to more convenient formats
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- Figure 22: Bona Wood Floor Cleaner free & simple, April 2016
- Private label losing to name brands
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- Figure 23: Change in MULO sales for private label surface cleaners, by segment, 2015-2016
What’s Next?
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- Non-toxic approach with natural all-purpose cleaners
- Scent combinations gaining popularity for all-purpose cleaners
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- All-purpose leads usage, while lapsed usage rises for specialty cleaners
- Multi-purpose and antibacterial are most important purchase influencers
- Antibacterial and multi-surface are leading attributes for wipes
- High-contact surfaces are best suited for all-purpose cleaners
- Compact, safe packaging appeals to surface cleaner shoppers
- Surface cleaning contributes to a healthy lifestyle
Usage of Surface Cleaners
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- Range of surfaces make all-purpose, window/glass cleaners most used
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- Figure 24: Usage of household surface cleaners, August 2016
- Disposable wipes are being used more by parents, young adults
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- Figure 25: Any current use (net) of disposable wipes, by generation and by parental status, August 2016
- Household type, income determine usage for specialty cleaners
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- Figure 26: Any current use (net) of specialty surface cleaners (eg stainless steel, granite), by primary residence and by income, August 2016
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- Figure 27: Use of metal cleaners, by households that currently own or recently purchased appliances, Spring 2016
- Hispanics are heavier users of labor-intensive surface cleaners
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- Figure 28: Any current usage (net) of select surface cleaners, by Hispanic origin, August 2016
Surface Cleaner Purchase Influencers
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- Most surface cleaner users look for multi-purpose products
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- Figure 29: Purchase influencers – Any rank, August 2016
- Non-toxic, natural ingredients important among parents
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- Figure 30: Select purchase influencers – Any rank, by parental status, August 2016
- Scent signals clean for Blacks, Hispanics, and young adults
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- Figure 31: Select purchase influencers – Any rank, by race and Hispanic origin and by generation, August 2016
Disposable Wipe Attributes
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- Antibacterial, multi-surface are most desired attributes for wipes
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- Figure 32: Attributes for wipes, August 2016
- Scented and textured wipes appeal to parents, large households
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- Figure 33: Select attributes for wipes, by parental status and household size, August 2016
- Sensory benefits of wipes appeal more to Blacks and Hispanics
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- Figure 34: Select attributes for wipes, by race and Hispanic origin, August 2016
- In their words:
Cleaners Best Suited for Surface Type
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- Most surface cleaner users pair all-purpose with high-contact surfaces
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- Figure 35: Correspondence Analysis – Cleaners and surface types, august 2016
- Methodology
- Convenience of all-purpose cleaners appeals to smaller households
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- Figure 36: All-purpose cleaners and select surface types, by household size, August 2016
- Parents, Hispanics show greater need for specialized cleaners
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- Figure 37: Specialized cleaners and select surface types, by parental status and Hispanic origin, August 2016
- In their words:
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- Figure 38: Select qualitative responses for surface cleaning scenarios, September 2016
Shopping Behaviors toward Surface Cleaners
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- Sampling new products piques interest for buyers
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- Figure 39: Shopping behaviors, August 2016
- Compact packaging interests young adults, urbanites
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- Figure 40: Packaging that is easier to store, by generation and by area, August 2016
- Safe packaging, convenience gain trust of parents, Hispanics
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- Figure 41: Select packaging attitudes, by Hispanic origin and parental status, August 2016
- In their words:
Attitudes toward Housecleaning
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- A healthy home contributes to health
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- Figure 42: Cleaning attitudes, August 2016
- Older generations practice cleanliness and healthy living
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- Figure 43: Select cleaning attitudes, by generation, August 2016
- Wipes offer a quick remedy for preventing germs
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- Figure 44: Select cleaning attitudes, by parental status, August 2016
- Core benefits of surface cleaners strongest among Blacks, Hispanics
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- Figure 45: Select cleaning attitudes, by race and Hispanic origin, August 2016
- In their words:
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – Market
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- Figure 46: Total US retail sales and forecast of household surface cleaners, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2011-21
- Figure 47: Total US retail sales of household surface cleaners, by segment, at current prices, 2014 and 2016
- Figure 48: Total US retail sales and forecast of toilet, tub, and tile cleaners, at current prices, 2011-16
- Figure 49: Total US retail sales and forecast of all-purpose cleaners, at current prices, 2011-16
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- Figure 50: Total US retail sales and forecast of specialized cleaners, at current prices, 2011-16
- Figure 51: Total US retail sales and forecast of cleaning cloths/wipes, at current prices, 2011-16
- Figure 52: Total US retail sales and forecast of floor cleaners/wax removers, at current prices, 2011-16
- Figure 53: Total US retail sales and forecast of furniture polish, at current prices, 2011-16
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- Figure 54: Total US retail sales of household surface cleaners, by channel, at current prices, 2011-16
- Figure 55: Total US retail sales of household surface cleaners, by channel, at current prices, 2014 and 2016
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Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 56: MULO sales of toilet/tub/tile cleaners, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks, 2015 and 2016
- Figure 57: MULO sales of all-purpose cleaners, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
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- Figure 58: MULO sales of cleaning cloths, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
- Figure 59: MULO sales of floor cleaners, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
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- Figure 60: MULO sales of furniture polish, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
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