Nearly three quarters (73%) of consumers recognize a tradeoff between convenience and eco-friendliness. To succeed, brands must focus on green innovations that seamlessly integrate into consumers’ lives, as ease of use remains a top priority. The key opportunity lies in creating sustainable solutions that prioritize convenience. While consumers are eager to make environmentally conscious choices, many are unwilling to sacrifice time or effort to do so.
As consumers face increasing financial pressures compared to previous years, price sensitivity is expected to remain a key factor. While convenient packaging will still be valued, many budget-conscious shoppers may temporarily overlook it in favour of securing a better deal.
Brand loyalty and habitual purchasing can pose challenges in the market, as consumers often overlook new packaging options. To stand out, brands and marketers must develop strategies designed to capture attention on the shelf effectively.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Influential household product packaging features
- Label information sought by consumers
- Typical consumer behaviours related to packaging
- Consumer attitudes
- Market factors influencing household care product purchasing
Consumers are looking for convenient and eco-friendly packaging solutions when shopping for household care products.
Meghan Ross, Senior Research Analyst – Home & Beauty
Market Definitions
This report explores new product development and consumer perceptions of household care packaging and formats in the Canadian market. It focuses on packaging sold with products, excluding those used for bulk transportation or industrial purposes.
Household care products include aircare, hard surface care, toilet care, dishwashing products, household paper products and laundry products.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- Opportunities
- What consumers want & why
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Purchasing responsibilities
- Canadians are purchasing a range of items to maintain their homes
- Graph 1: purchasing responsibility of household products, 2024
- Older women are most involved, but packaging needs to appeal to a range of shoppers
- Graph 2: purchasing responsibility of household products, by age and gender, 2024
- Important packaging features
- Consumers seek sustainability and convenience
- Graph 3: packaging features most likely to influence a purchase decision, 2024
- Package formats to improve convenience
- Convenience coupled with performance
- Packaging priorities shift with age
- Graph 4: packaging features most likely to influence a laundry product purchase decision, by age, 2024
- Graph 5: packaging features most likely to influence a dishwashing product purchase decision, by age, 2024
- Packaging usability has a greater influence on older consumers
- Graph 6: packaging features most likely to influence a household cleaning product purchase decision, by age, 2024
- Safe packaging is a consideration for parents
- Graph 7: childproof packaging as likely to influence a purchase decision, 2024
- Preferences differ across Asian consumers
- Graph 8: attractive packaging design as likely to influence a purchase decision, 2024
- Pairing attractive design with sustainable packaging
- Labelling information
- Consumers are taking the time to understand what they are purchasing
- Graph 9: product label information looked for when choosing household care products, 2024
- TURF Analysis
- Women are paying closer attention to product label information
- Graph 10: product label information looked for when choosing household care products (select), men vs women, 2024
- Tech-supported information is seldom researched
- Graph 11: technology-related product label information looked for when choosing household care products, by age, 2024
- Consumers need a push to seek out information through QR codes
- Lower-income shoppers may not expect additional benefits from lower-cost products
- Graph 12: product label information looked for when choosing household care products (select), by household income, 2024
- Behaviours towards household care packaging
- Recycling habits differ by age
- Graph 13: recycling and reusing behaviours, by age, 2024
- Consumers have high expectations of convenience
- Graph 14: struggles related to household product packaging, by age, 2024
- Parents are looking for easy solutions
- Graph 15: struggles related to household product packaging, by parental status, 2024
- Improving value by reducing waste is a priority for struggling consumers
- Graph 16: struggles related to household product packaging, by financial health, 2024
- Clear dosing instructions reduce waste and improve performance
- Attitudes
- Packaging waste is a top sustainability concern
- Consumers remain unclear about environmental impacts of their purchase decisions but still aim to do their part
- Habitual shopping can get in the way of sustainability goals
- Behind the scenes sustainability efforts need to be communicated
- Graph 17: sustainable packaging attitudes (% agree), by age, 2024
- Reusing and repurposing plastic packaging
- Consumers recognize the tradeoff between convenience and sustainability
- Sustainable formats can leverage their convenience benefits
- Merging sustainability with convenience
- The inconvenience of refills
- Reusable triggers cut down waste and refill hassles
- Inconvenience is a barrier for wider refill adoption
- Motivating refills by showcasing advantages over recycling
- Parents can set an example by taking the extra step
- Graph 18: ‘Using refillable products is too much work’ (% agree), by parental status, 2024
- Consumers understand the sustainability benefits associated with concentrated formulas
- Graph 19: concentrated formula attitudes (% agree), 2024
- Another challenge with refills stems from concerns about hygiene
- Accessibility considerations are a near-universal expectation
- Packaging plays a role in ease of use for those with physical limitations
- A diverse workforce helps drive innovative solutions for all
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COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- New formats alter packaging requirements
- Auto-dosing appliances alter packaging needs
- Auto-dosing appliances shape how consumers interact with cleaning products
- Marketing and advertising
- Finding alternatives to traditional plastic packaging
- Recovering and recycling ocean plastic waste
- Bioplastics offer a biodegradable alternative to plastic
- Consumers may need to be reassured when swapping out traditional packaging
- Reducing packaging waste during shipping
- Highlight sustainability efforts beyond packaging
- Maximizing value through packaging
- Justifying a packaging switch with a value boost
- A time-based ‘quantity’ helps consumers justify their investment
- Smaller sizes reduce hesitancy and boost purchase confidence
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The Market
- Market context
- Economic snapshot
- Market drivers
- Canadians continue to feel the pinch
- Graph 20: current financial situation, 2020-24
- Inflation has reached its target rates, but consumers still struggle
- Graph 21: Consumer Price Index, 2020-24
- Age-related ailments should be considered with package design
- Graph 22: population aged 0-14 and 65+, 1988-2068*
- Universal design concepts improve accessibility
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APPENDIX
- Market definition
- Consumer research methodology
- Consumer qualitative research
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
- TURF Methodology
- TURF Analysis
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