60% of German laundry shoppers and users agree that washing fabrics too frequently damages them, yet laundry frequency increased in 2023. While inflation and laundry detergent price increases are slowing, two years of the cost-of-living crisis have put significant strain on consumers’ finances, leading to the adoption of value-led laundry behaviours (eg switching to own-label products).
Energy prices and water scarcity will continue to impact how consumers approach their laundry, and brands will have to continue to support them in establishing cost-saving laundry habits, such as using fabric refreshers to prolong the wearability of clothes between washes and keeping laundry fresh. Emphasising the economic advantage of washing at lower temperatures (eg 20°C) and innovating with formulas including ingredients such as baking soda will help to protect washing machines from deteriorating.
Younger consumers are less experienced at doing laundry, and are looking to brands to learn how to take care of their clothing, presenting a sweet spot for them. 55% of Gen Z and 56% of Millennial laundry shoppers and users agree that laundry brands are responsible for educating people on how to take care of their laundry. With younger consumers’ interest in emerging tech, brands can rely on AI solutions to connect with this target group.
This Report Looks At The Following Areas:
- The short-, medium- and long-term impact of the economic situation and inflation on the fabric care market.
- Germans’ laundry reponsibilities and usage, purchase of laundry & fabric care products, and laundry frequency.
- Laundry temperatures used for different types of laundry.
- Typical laundry routines, and attitudes towards laundry activities and laundry products.
- Launch activity and innovation opportunities for laundry & fabric care products.
- Market size and shares for laundry & fabric care products.
Value-led laundry behaviours will remain, and brands need to double their efforts to support consumers, with a focus on low-temperature washing or NPD that prolongs the wearability of clothes between washes.
Yasemin Holtemayer, Household Care Research Analyst, Germany
Collapse All
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- Key issues covered in this Report
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Market context
- Mintel predicts
- Opportunities
- The competitive landscape
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MARKET DRIVERS
- The German economy
- Graph 1: key economic data, in real terms, 2019-25
- Graph 2: financial confidence index, 2022-23
- Graph 3: consumer price index, 2021-23
- Regulatory changes in the EU
- Water scarcity
- Fashion
- Appliances
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Laundry tasks and responsibilities
- Graph 4: sole responsibilities for laundry, 2022-23
- Graph 5: sole responsibilities for laundry among Gen Zs, 2022-23
- Frequency of doing laundry
- Use of laundry detergents and fabric care products
- Graph 6: usage of laundry detergents in the last 12 months, 2022-23
- Fabric care usage
- Graph 7: usage of fabric care products in the last 12 months, 2022-23
- Laundry temperatures
- Graph 8: laundry wash temperatures, 2023
- Typical laundry routines
- Graph 9: typical laundry routines, 2023
- Attitudes towards laundry & fabric care
- Graph 10: attitudes towards laundry and laundry products, 2023
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LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
- Graph 11: NPD in household care, by top five categories, 2019-23
- Graph 12: NPD in laundry detergents, fabric conditioners & fabric care*, by sub-category, 2021-23
- Laundry detergents
- Graph 13: NPD in automatic laundry detergents, by format, 2019-23
- Graph 14: NPD in laundry detergents*, by launch type, 2019-23
- Graph 15: laundry detergent NPD*, by top ten claims, 2019-23
- Graph 16: laundry detergent NPD, by ultimate company, 2019-23
- Fabric conditioners and fabric care
- Graph 17: fabric conditioner and fabric care NPD*, by launch type, 2019-23
- Graph 18: fabric conditioner and fabric care NPD, by leading claims, 2019-23
- Graph 19: fabric conditioner and fabric care NPD, by ultimate company, 2019-23
- Graph 20: fabric conditioner and fabric care NPD, private-label vs branded products, 2019-23
- Graph 21: laundry detergent NPD*, branded vs private label, 2019-23
- Advertising and marketing activity
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MARKET SHARE
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MARKET SIZE, SEgmentation AND FORECAST
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APPENDIX
- Appendix – products covered, abbreviations, consumer research methodology and language usage
- Appendix – market size and central forecast methodology
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