Mintel’s UK aircare market analysis suggests that while the recent focus on value will continue, improvements in consumer financial wellbeing shouldn’t be overlooked by brands. This should open up possibilities for trading up and renewed NPD from brands. Confidence from consumers should benefit both own label and new entrants in the air care market.
UK Aircare Market – Current Landscape
Consumer use of air care products is growing. Demand for lower cost sprays/aerosols is especially strong, with usage up in 2024. With financial consumer confidence falling back in the first half of 2024, the importance of value for money will continue for many consumers in the air care market. While brands can deliver value here through different pack sizes and formats, it is private label household brands that are especially well placed. Having come to dominate the scented candle market, retailers have an opportunity to strengthen their presence in other formats, especially growth sectors such as air and carpet fresheners. Recent NPD activity suggests that a number are ready to grasp this opportunity.
Aircare Market Statistics
- Aircare market share: Candles dominate the air care market with 47% market share, but face growing competition from air fresheners.
- Aircare market trends: 79% of air care launches displayed an eco-ethical claim in 2023.
Aircare Market Report – What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analysed in the Report
- The impact, and effects, of the recent cost of living crisis.
- Size of the market and its forecast development over the coming five years
- Usage and purchase frequency of air care products by type and use in rooms around the home
- Reasons for using scented candles, including for relaxation and creating mood and ambience, and purchase factors, such as price and long-lasting scent
- Attitudes towards air care product fragrances, including impact on health and the environment
- Company and brand shares, competitive strategies and advertising initiatives
Report Scope
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel examines the retail market for the following air care products:
- Aerosol and pump sprays
- Continuous electrical air fresheners, including plug-ins and battery-operated/automatic sprays, including timed release
- Continuous non-electrical air fresheners, including blocks/gels, non-battery-powered click sprays and scented oils/reed diffusers
- Scented candles and oil burners
- Kitchen appliance fresheners
- Carpet/vacuum fresheners
- Car fresheners.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Arpita Sharma. Arpita joined Mintel in 2019 as a Global Household Analyst, writing UK Reports and global household content. Prior to joining Mintel, Arpita worked in various roles at Nielsen across a span of 13 years, working across different geographies including South Asia, Nordics and the UK.
Innovation within air care is proving popular. Yet, with sluggish retail sales, more is needed to expand demand, especially with key groups such as young adults and women.
Arpita Sharma
Global Household Analyst
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Executive Summary
- Opportunities for the air care market
- Adapt to modern, multifunctional living spaces
- Child and pet friendly air care
- Young families have a variety of needs
- Consumer demands for a safe product cannot be overlooked
- Graph 1: concerns about air care scents, 2024
- The practice of gifting can extend beyond scented candles
- Graph 2: agreement with select attitudes towards air care products, 2024
- Take inspiration from prestige BPC
- Market dynamics and outlook
- The five year outlook for air care
- Market Size and Forecast
- Air care market forecast to benefit from further steady growth
- Value continues to be important for many
- Candles dominate but face growing competition from air fresheners
- Innovation is proving popular especially with own label
- What consumers want and why
- Consumer challenges require greater focus towards key user groups
- Graph 3: use of air care products in the last 12 months, 2023-24
- Different product formats are popular beyond the kitchen and bathroom
- Graph 4: use of different air care products in the last 12 months in the bedroom, 2024
- Safer formulations are sought by many users
- Graph 5: importance of products being free from harmful chemicals as a purchase driver, by product type, 2024
- Innovation and marketing
- Interest from retailers continues to grow own label presence
- Innovation in bottled air care illustrates an opportunity to challenge the candle market
- Adspend reaches new high as big players battle it out on television
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Market Dynamics
- Market size
- Sales begin to rebuild after cost of living crisis
- Graph 6: market size for air care, year ending July, 2020-24
- Rising own label demand expected to restrain growth in 2024
- Market forecast
- Steady growth for air care sales is forecast from 2024-29
- Innovation and safety need to be addressed if market is to continue to expand
- Market segmentation
- Candles remain in the lead, despite falling share of sales
- Air and carpet fresheners are most buoyant
- Market share
- Smaller brands make progress in the candle segment…
- …following the success of own label in challenging established brands
- Febreze/Ambi Pur maintains dominance of air freshener segment…
- …although competition from other brands is increasing
- Fragmentation evident amongst car freshener brands
- Febreze strengthens presence in buoyant carpet freshener segment
- Distribution channels
- Grocery multiples are the main channel for purchasing
- Interest in smaller brands is boosting profile of other channels
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Market drivers
- Macro-economic factors
- Household consumption hit by inflationary pressures
- Graph 7: household consumption, quarterly change, 2023-24
- Falling financial confidence illustrates continuing economic challenges
- Graph 8: index of financial confidence in the next year, 2020-24
- Gen X feeling the pain more than any other group
- Graph 9: changes in household finances over the last year, by generation, 2024
- Wider consumer trends
- Online is broadening its influence as a sales channel
- Potential for own label has yet to be fully exploited
- Awareness about indoor air quality
- Growing awareness about indoor air quality
- Solutions to monitor and improve IAQ are growing
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What Consumers Want and Why
- Use of air care products
- Use of air care products is growing
- Demand for sprays/aerosols continues to expand
- Graph 10: use of air care products in the last 12 months, 2022-24
- Aerosols and sprays can build further on their value positioning
- Candles, car air fresheners and melts are popular with younger adults
- Graph 11: use of select air care products in the last 12 months, by 16-35 vs 35+, 2024
- Diffuser and scented oils brands can learn from BPC trends
- Interest of wealthy for air care ‘on the go’ hints at premiumisation
- Frequency of buying air care products
- Purchase of air care products is up; greatest growth is seen in monthly purchasing
- Graph 12: frequency of purchase of air care products in the last 12 months, 2022-24
- Growth in once a month purchasing likely to reflect demand for certain products
- Wealthier adults buy air care more frequently
- Regular purchasers offer potential for further exploitation
- Children are important to the air care market
- Child-focused marketing opportunities exist with families
- Rooms where air care products are used
- Consumers are interested in a variety of air care formats
- Graph 13: room(s) used for each of the following air care products in the last 12 months, 2024
- Air care for open plan living
- Tailor NPD to align with the needs of particular rooms
- Young families have a variety of needs
- Encourage usage among over-55s with age-inclusive marketing
- Purchasing factors when buying an air care spray or aerosol
- Safety and use around the home dominate as purchase drivers
- Graph 14: factors most important if you were to buy an air care spray/aerosol, 2024
- Harmful chemicals are a higher concern for women
- Pet odour benefits offer potential with families
- Reasons for using scented candles and purchase factors
- Relaxation is the most important reason for using scented candles
- Graph 15: reasons for using scented candles, 2024
- Tailor scents for individual needs
- Men and women seek different benefits from candles
- Longevity and price are key factors when purchasing a scented candle
- Graph 16: purchase factors when buying a scented candle, 2024
- Promote value for money and practical benefits to encourage candles purchase among men
- Graph 17: importance of longevity and price when buying a scented candle, men by age, 2024
- Attractive designs promote gifting
- Focus on design to attract wealthier customers…
- … and promote gifting opportunities
- Adding value to candles can come in a number of ways
- Social media offers communication opportunities with men
- Attitudes towards air care product fragrances
- Add value with aromatherapy and custom scent options
- Graph 18: attitudes towards air care product fragrances, 2024
- Popularity of aromatherapy benefits offers segmentation opportunities
- Graph 19: agreement with select attitudes towards air care product fragrances, women aged 16-34 vs All, 2024
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Innovation And Marketing Trends
- Launch activity and innovation
- Air care leads NPD in household care category, despite a decline in share
- Graph 20: share of new household care product launches, by category, 2021-24
- Movement out of pandemic is accompanied by weaker share for air care NPD
- Branded products dominate NPD, but private labels see growth
- Graph 21: new air care product launches, by branded vs private label, 2021-24
- Own label assumes top spot in the scented candle sector
- Graph 22: new candle product launches, by branded vs own-label, 2021-24
- Retailers are focusing on brand development
- Non-supermarket retailers include scented candles as part of their homewares collections
- Non-powered and candle air fresheners dominate NPD launches
- Graph 23: share of new air care product launches, by sub-category, 2021-24
- Powered air freshener market seeing steady stream of NPD activity
- While ethical and environmental claims have increased since the pandemic …
- Graph 24: share of new air care product launches carrying ethical & environmental claims, 2021-24
- …air care still lags behind other household product categories addressing this issue
- Graph 25: share of new household care launches carrying ethical & environmental claims, by category, 2022-23
- Floral and gourmet/edible fragrances dominate a complex market
- Graph 26: share of air care product launches, by fragrance component group, 2021 and 2023
- Floral and gourmet/edible scents illustrate different demands from consumers
- Odour control dominates carpet freshener claims
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Air care adspend surpasses £38 million in 2023
- Graph 27: total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on air care, 2020-24
- Febreze and Air Wick benefit most from support
- Graph 28: total above-the line, online display and direct mail ad expenditure on air care, by brand, 2023
- Febreze focuses on refreshing fabrics
- Delivering 24/7 ambient odour control is a priority for Air Wick …
- … as is better indoor ambience with the launch of its mist diffuser
- Television dominates on account of the preferences of the two biggest brands
- Digital and radio saw increased support in 2023
- Graph 29: digital and radio advertising expenditure on air care, 2023
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Appendix
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (value)
- Market size forecast, real and 2024 prices
- Forecast methodology
- Report definitions and abbreviations
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Methodology
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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