As financially healthy younger consumers assume more cleaning responsibilities, brands can speak to their greater interest in cleaning robots to further penetrate the market with automated cleaning equipment.
German Household Cleaning Equipment Market – Current Outlook
While 60% of German consumers agree that single-use cleaning products are bad for the environment, 47% struggle to tell which products are actually sustainable. This confusion is likely caused by the lack of standardised sustainability claims, and brands should therefore clearly label their packaging to indicate if their product is wash-friendly.
Price increases in the category continue to weigh on consumers’ ability to purchase electronic floor equipment, but the lower end of the market, such as manual cleaning equipment, is less exposed based on its needs-driven usage and low prices.
Adaptation of automated future technologies will be slow, considering that half of cleaning robot non-users don’t use them because the purchase price is too high. Manual cleaning brands are therefore poised to highlight their ability to clean corners, stairs and other hard-to-reach areas. Using AI to speed up the innovation process of new products – such as more-efficient shapes for mop heads – will give such brands an edge.
Household Cleaning Equipment – Consumer Statistics
- Household cleaning equipment market opportunity: 19% of German household care shoppers aged 16-24 have signed up to a household care product subscription service.
- Consumer cleaning behaviours: 71% of German floor cleaning equipment users prefer to tackle dirt and marks on their floors as they appear, favouring spot cleaning over long cleaning sessions.
German Household Cleaning Equipment Market Report – What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analysed in the Report
- The short-, medium- and long-term impact of the economic situation and inflation on the cleaning equipment market
- Germans’ usage of household cleaning equipment, including floor cleaning equipment
- Barriers to using cleaning robots in the home, such as price, performance and privacy concerns
- Household and floor cleaning equipment behaviours
- Attitudes towards household cleaning equipment, including cleaning robot use cases and perception of single-use cleaning equipment
- Launch activity and innovation opportunities for household cleaning equipment brands
Report Scope
This reportexamines the retail market for household cleaning equipment, including the following product categories:
- Cleaning cloths, sponges and wipes
- Scouring products, including washing-up tools
- Gloves, including household, disposable and tough gloves
- Dusters, including dusting sticks, traditional, microfibre and disposable dusters
- Floor cleaning, including mops, floor kits (including refills),buckets/wringers, brooms, scrubbing brushes, and dustpan and brushes.
This market definition excludes disposable wipes and antibacterial cleaning wipes, which are covered in Mintel’s Germany Toilet and Hard Surface Care Market Report.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
Yasemin joined Mintel in October 2022 as a Household Care Research Analyst in Germany. Prior to working at Mintel, Yasemin worked as a Consumer Insights Analyst. She holds a M.A. in Brand Management and a B.Sc. in Clothing Technology/Fabric Processing.
Brands can embrace younger consumers’ higher interest in and use of cleaning robots, and manual cleaning brands have a significant opportunity to innovate with products for hard-to-each areas (eg pre-fillable mops, triangle shaped mops).
Yasemin Holtemayer
Household Care Research Analyst, Germany
Collapse All
-
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- The five-year outlook for household cleaning equipment
- Market context
- Inflationary pressures threaten big-ticket items
- Automation and AI are becoming more prominent in household care
- Opportunities
- Appeal to younger consumers’ interest in convenience…
- …and automation
- Make manual cleaning equipment more convenient to compete with impending automation
- Brands need to help consumers to adopt sustainable habits
-
MARKET DRIVERS
- The German economy
- 2024 is expected to remain challenging
- Graph 1: key economic data, in real terms, 2019-25
- The inflation rate is bouncing back to more conventional levels
- Inflation is still the key factor affecting consumers’ finances…
- …confidence and expenditure
- Graph 2: financial confidence index, 2022-24
- Price rises slowed down in 2023
- Graph 3: consumer price index, 2021-24
- The impact of the economy on the cleaning equipment market
- Financial health influences technology use
- Demographic changes
- Households in Germany are shrinking
- Automation and AI
- Automation becomes more widespread
- AI accelerates product development
- Pet ownership
- Pet ownership influences cleaning equipment usage
-
WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Usage of cleaning equipment
- Usage of popular cleaning products remains stable
- Graph 4: usage of household cleaning equipment – NET, any usage, 2021-24
- Germans prefer traditional products over new innovations
- Underscore the convenience of niche cleaning products
- Enhance rubber gloves with skin-supporting ingredients
- Younger consumers experiment with different cleaning products
- Graph 5: repertoire of types of cleaning equipment used, by age, 2024
- Kitchens find the most use for cleaning equipment
- Graph 6: usage of household cleaning equipment, by room, 2024
- Ensure hygienic cleanliness in the kitchen through antibacterial claims
- Take dusters’ ability to reach difficult areas further
- Usage of floor cleaning equipment
- Usage of floor cleaning equipment remains stable
- Graph 7: usage of floor cleaning equipment in the last three months, 2021-24
- Offer antibacterial and antimicrobial mop heads for increased hygiene
- Younger consumers are most likely to use cleaning robots
- Graph 8: cleaning robot use, by age, 2024
- Barriers to usage of cleaning robots
- Price barriers keep cleaning robots out of reach for most consumers
- Graph 9: reasons not to use cleaning robots, by financial situation, 2024
- Price barriers can give manual cleaning brands an edge
- Surpass cleaning robots with the ability to reach corners
- Behaviours towards cleaning equipment
- Multipacks are popular among German consumers
- Graph 10: household cleaning equipment behaviours, 2024
- Sustainable products need to catch up with the multipack preference
- Unlock efficiency through pre-fill options for mops
- Address fathers with on-pack reassurance of hygiene
- Tap into younger consumers’ wish for automation
- Attitudes towards cleaning equipment
- AI offers solutions outside of cleaning robots
- Graph 11: attitudes towards household cleaning equipment, 2024
- Educate on the washing practices of cleaning equipment
- Use AI to innovate around manual cleaning products
- Usage of cleaning robots influences efficiency perceptions
- Offer subscription models to overcome price concerns for cleaning robots to up usage…
- …and highlight the time saving aspects for younger pet owners
-
LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
- NPD in cleaning equipment stagnates
- Graph 12: NPD in household care, by category, 2021-24
- Unlock innovation by bridging durability with sustainable convenience
- New product launches align with sustainable changes
- Graph 13: NPD in household cleaning equipment, by launch type, 2021-24
- New launches highlight natural materials
- Niche claims are growing
- Graph 14: NPD in household cleaning equipment, by top ten leading claims, 2021-24
- Ease of use claims shift to economy claims as inflation affects both consumers and brands
- Examples of NPD with ease of use claims
- Examples of NPD with economy claims
- Brands are focusing on natural materials
- Own label closes in on branded launches
- Examples of own-label NPD
- Edeka drove innovation in 2023
- Graph 15: NPD in household cleaning equipment, by leading companies, 2021-24
- The impending EU Green deal pushes brands to improve cleaning equipment
- Advertising and marketing activity
- No bending down necessary
- Cleaning robots offer more free time
- Easy-to-use mop
-
APPENDIX
- Appendix – products covered, abbreviations, consumer research methodology and language usage
- Products covered in this Report
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- A note on language
Market Intelligence Made Easier With Mintel
The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:
- Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
- Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
- Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
- Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.
What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?
Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.
The Four Pillars of Our Research
We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:
- Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
- Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
- Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
- Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.
Bringing It All Together
Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.
Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.
£ 2,195 (Excl.Tax)
-
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or invoice (net 30 payment terms)
-
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF, Powerpoint and Excel Databook straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
-
Interactive databook included
Focus on the data that matters most to you with a customisable databook avaliable on our platform
-
Save up to 20% when you purchase multiple reports
Discount automatically applied in basket
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn moreTrusted by global industry leaders
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.
Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.
Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.
It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.
Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, Mediacom
We use Mintel to inform our thinking and reinforce strategy. If you’re presenting new ideas, it’s essential they are underpinned by robust data and evidence, and clearly rooted in fact.
Mintel gives us all that. It’s a great brand and one that is trusted by clients.
Marie Stafford, European Director, The Innovation Group, VML
When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.
They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.
So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.
Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn more
