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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- Laundry and fabric care market size and forecast
- Market factors
- The market now and future opportunities
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THE MARKET
- Market size and forecast
- The market maintains steady growth, with core detergents underpinning overall value, while niche usage scenarios expand premiumisation opportunities
- Graph 1: retail value forecast for laundry and fabric care products (best- and worst-case scenarios), 2020-30
- Market factors
- Household care budgets remain broadly stable, preserving a foundation for trading up in laundry and fabric care
- Graph 2: household care product spending intentions, 2025-26*
- Core laundry product usage remains stable, while niche and experience-led segments drive structural growth
- Graph 3: usage of laundry and fabric care products, 2025-26*
- Purchasing shifts online, with category growth increasingly dependent on channels’ conversion effectiveness
- Ultra-low price segments shrink, with laundry and fabric care gaining more mid-tier pricing space online
- Graph 4: share of sales for laundry and fabric care products on Tmall, by price tier, 2024-26
- Graph 5: share of sales for laundry and fabric care products on Douyin, by price tier, 2024-26
- Private label share of new product launches increases, with retailers playing a growing role in supply
- Online bestsellers leverage experience-led entry-point keywords, with fragrance becoming a key initial selling point
- New national standards will raise safety and compliance thresholds, driving a shift towards higher quality and standardisation
- Market segments
- Laundry detergents underpin the market base, while laundry aids drive scenario-based growth
- Graph 6: value sales of laundry and fabric care sub-categories, 2021-25
- Graph 7: growth rates of laundry and fabric care sub-categories, 2021-25
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COMPANIES AND BRANDS
- Market share
- Tmall: leading duopoly remains stable, while mid-tier brands diverge between premiumisation and value-led strategies
- Douyin: leading players maintain their advantage, with fragrance-led and specialised laundry brands standing out
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THE CONSUMER
- Product usage becomes more refined, shifting from basic cleaning to multi-step laundry routines
- Core laundry products remain the usage base, while specialised and experience-led products complement the routine
- Graph 8: usage of laundry and fabric care products, 2025-26*
- Four to five products is the mainstream usage pattern, as routines shift from single-product use to clearly defined roles
- Multi-format usage becomes the norm, with liquid, powder and pod detergents serving distinct laundry roles
- Graph 9: usage and co-usage of liquid detergents, washing powders and capsules/pods, 2026
- Detergent pods still have scope for trial, but reducing churn and increasing repeat purchase are key to growth
- Graph 10: usage frequency changes among detergent pod users, 2026
- Graph 11: trial and churn among non-users of detergent pods, 2026
- Mismatch with small, frequent washes and perceived cleaning limitations of pods constrain retention
- Underwear-specific detergents become more routine, while scent boosters reflect a younger, more experience-led upgrade
- Graph 12: usage of underwear-specific detergents/soaps, by age and household income, 2026
- Graph 13: usage of in-wash scent boosters, by age and household income, 2026
- Extension opportunities expand from specialised washing to care and on-the-go scenarios
- Most consumers are open to expanding their product range, but a clear usage rationale is essential
- Graph 14: planned usage of laundry detergents over the next 12 months, 2026
- Pain-point-led specialist detergents are best placed to capture demand for category expansion, with underwear and down jackets the top priority
- Graph 15: interest in specialist detergents, by future purchase intentions, 2026
- Specialist detergents for delicate fabrics evolve from gentle cleaning to more defined care benefits
- From whiteness maintenance to UV protection, specialist detergents have further scope for innovation
- Process-led innovation strengthens low-damage proposition in specialist care for delicate garments
- Demand is now extending to fabric care and portable laundry products
- Graph 16: purchase intentions for fabric care products, 2026
- Graph 17: purchase intentions for portable laundry care products, 2026
- Addressing everyday pain points to activate demand in care and on-the-go scenarios
- Channel divergence: online is the primary arena, while offline remains an important purchase channel
- Online leads purchases, while offline remains an important touchpoint
- Graph 18: choice of purchase channel for laundry and fabric care products, 2026
- Channel choice follows an age gradient, with younger consumers favouring online and older groups leaning more towards offline
- Graph 19: choice of purchase channel for laundry and fabric care products, by age, 2026
- Larger households retain stronger offline purchasing, while higher-income households skew more towards online
- Graph 20: choice of purchase channel for laundry and fabric care products, by household structure, 2026
- Graph 21: choice of purchase channel for laundry and fabric care products, by household income, 2026
- Offline shoppers tend to use a slightly wider range of product types
- Graph 22: number of laundry and fabric care product types used, by online/offline purchase method, 2026
- Offline shoppers show slightly higher interest in fabric-specific specialist detergents
- Graph 23: interest in specialist detergents, by online/offline purchase method, 2026
- Offline shoppers tend to maintain status quo; online/hybrid shoppers more willing to up purchase frequency and trade up
- Graph 24: purchase intentions for laundry and fabric care products, by online/offline purchase method, 2026
- Graph 25: purchase intentions for laundry and fabric care products (spend per unit), by online/offline purchase method, 2026
- Familiar brands remain dominant, while online shoppers are more willing to try new brands
- Graph 26: brand trial in laundry and fabric care products, by online/offline purchase method, 2026
- Online and hybrid shoppers show slightly higher expansion intent, while offline shoppers are more stable
- Graph 27: purchase intentions for laundry detergent product types, by online/offline purchase method, 2026
- Graph 28: purchase intentions for fabric care product types, by online/offline purchase method, 2026
- Expansion intent for portable laundry care products is higher among online and hybrid shoppers
- Graph 29: purchase intentions for portable laundry care product types, by online/offline purchase method, 2026
- Online drives trial, while offline reinforces certainty in purchase decisions
- Fragrance experience evolves from a singular focus on longevity to layered scent expression
- Consumers prioritise moderate fragrance longevity, with 1-2 days best suited to everyday wear
- Graph 30: preferred fragrance longevity, 2026
- 25-39s are more receptive to longer-lasting fragrance; multi-generational households prefer a more restrained scent profile
- Graph 31: fragrance preferences for laundry and fabric care products, by age, 2026
- Graph 32: fragrance preferences for laundry and fabric care products, by household structure, 2026
- Core laundry products should focus on balanced freshness; pods and in-wash scent boosters are better for delivering more noticeable fragrance
- Graph 33: fragrance preferences in laundry and fabric care products, by product usage, 2026
- From fixed scent profiles to custom blends, laundry fragrances are becoming more personalised
- Noticeable, balanced fragrance can be leveraged to drive repeat purchase and trade-up
- Graph 34: fragrance preferences in laundry and fabric care products, by purchase frequency intentions, 2026
- Graph 35: fragrance preferences in laundry and fabric care products, by planned spend per unit, 2026
- In-wash scent boosters are not just about changing fragrance, but also about selling seasonal and lifestyle scenarios
- Floral scents remain the core base, while woody and leather notes see a modest rise
- Graph 36: fragrance preferences for fabric care products, 2024-25
- New launches expand from a floral base into more natural and scenario-led scent profiles
- Graph 37: share of fragrance types in new laundry and fabric care product launches, by scent category, 2021-26*
- Laundry fragrance goes beyond scent retention to become part of everyday fragrance routines
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NEW PRODUCT TRENDS
- Machine-wash launches recover in share in China, while laundry aids continue to drive scenario-based growth
- Graph 38: laundry and fabric care sub-categories, 2023-26
- Graph 39: laundry and fabric care sub-categories, 2025-26
- Liquid formats regain momentum in China’s machine-wash launches, while pod innovation slows
- Graph 40: machine-wash product formats, 2023-26
- Graph 41: machine-wash product formats, 2025-26
- Antibacterial, botanical and eco claims form the core base, with quick-wash and time-saving emerging as efficiency-led secondary claims
- Graph 42: leading claims in new detergent launches, 2023-26*
- Cleaning ingredient upgrades focus on more targeted performance and gentler formulations
- Plant-based ingredients moving beyond natural positioning to address more specific laundry care needs
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APPENDIX – MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST, RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
- Market size and forecast
- Methodology
Product sophistication, effective channel execution and fragrance experience together are driving the category towards premiumisation.
Zoey Song, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
Laundry and fabric care products include: laundry detergents, clothing care products, fabric softeners and other laundry aids.
- Laundry detergents include detergents in any format, including liquids, powders, capsules, tablets and laundry soap bars.
- Fabric conditioners and softeners include standard and concentrated conditioners and softeners, in-wash scent boosters and dryer sheets.
- Laundry aids include stain removers, ironing aids, bleaches and colour care products.
Excluded:
sales to professional laundries, self-service laundrettes, and the consumer-to-consumer (C2C) market, such as WeChat-based sellers and Taobao.
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