In a post-pandemic world where inflationary pressures have impacted affordability, consumers increasingly want products to deliver more during use.
With laundry routines becoming less regular, and budgets tighter, interest in integrated solutions from products is growing.
This report looks at the following areas:
- The short-, medium- and long-term impact of inflation and changes in consumer habits and buying intentions following on from the recent cost-of-living crisis
- The impact of product innovation and the effect this is having on the development of laundry detergent and fabric care markets
- Responses of key players within the market to evolving and broadening demands of consumers towards the frequency and use of laundry detergents, fabric conditioners and fabric care products
- Consumer interest in benefits offered by laundry detergents and fabric care products as well as the attributes that influence the purchase of these products
Renewed confidence from brands is resonating well with evolving consumer demands to bring about both innovation and value growth.
Luke Santos, Household Care and Brand Analyst
Market Definitions
This Report examines the retail market for the following laundry detergent, fabric conditioner and fabric care products, namely:
- main wash laundry detergents offered to the consumer in a range of product formats, including powders, liquids, gels, tablets and capsules/liquid tablets; this includes standard and concentrated, biological, non-biological, two-in-one and ‘colour’ products
- special wash detergents, which includes detergents for handwashing and delicate fabrics
- rinse conditioners used in addition to laundry detergents in order to soften, freshen and/or make drying and ironing easier, and available as standard and concentrated liquids
- tumble dry enhancers offered as fragrance-impregnated sheets that are designed for use in tumble dryers
- stain removers that take away stains and include both pre-wash and in-wash products in powder, liquid, gel, tablet and spray format
- whiteners and colour care products used with laundry detergents for helping to maintain the brightness of colours and the whiteness of whites without bleaching
- ironing aids that include products for ironing, such as fragranced ironing waters and starch liquids or sprays
Excluded
Clothes-washing detergents sold in launderettes are excluded from the market size of this Report.
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Executive Summary
- Opportunities for the laundry and fabric care market
- Explore environmental and ethical messages to offer a competitive advantage
- Refills/refillable formats are far from mainstream
- Marketing laundry products to men
- Keep male fabric care buyers in mind
- The cost-of-living crisis has lingering effects
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market predictions for laundry and fabric care
- Market size and forecast
- The laundry market forecast for continued growth
- Innovation and added value are growing the profile of fabric care products
- Longstanding consumer trust in established brands
- Fairy emerges as the main competitor to Persil among laundry detergent brands
- Success for Fairy in fabric conditioner sales contrasts with the difficulties faced by Comfort
- Vanish maintains its dominance within the wash treatment market
- What consumers want and why
- Consumers need more from brands as laundry habits evolve
- Graph 1: laundry frequency, 2024 vs 2022
- Tighter finances lead to laundry reductions
- Consumers want better outcomes for their garments
- Graph 2: fabric care repertoires by those doing laundry every day vs once a week, 2024
- Convenience dominates interest in innovations
- Graph 3: usage and potential usage of laundry and fabric care products with select benefits, 2024
- Scent is an important purchase influencer for both detergent and fabric care
- Graph 4: top three purchase influencers for laundry detergents and fabric care products, 2024
- Innovation and marketing
- P&G and Unilever lead for laundry care innovation
- Graph 5: fabric care launches by ultimate company* (top five), 2023-24
- Investment by the ‘big two’ to support their brand portfolios illustrates the importance of promotion
- Graph 6: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail ad expenditure on laundry and fabric care, 2020-24
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Market Dynamics
- Market size
- Inflationary pressures boost market value to a new high
- Graph 7: market size for laundry, fabric conditioners and fabric care products, 2020-24
- Innovation is helping to expand retail sales
- Market forecast
- Innovation and interest in fabric care will act as key market drivers
- Market segmentation
- Laundry detergents dominate the market
- Fabric care sales are benefitting from value added developments
- The dominance of main wash detergents continues…
- …as sales of specialist wash detergents continue to decline
- Rinse conditioners strengthen share within the fabric care market
- Inflationary pressure and NPD combine to boost rinse conditioner market
- Market share
- Fairy narrows the gap with market leader Persil in the detergent market
- Falling share for Persil places increased pressure on Unilever
- P&G and Unilever both benefit from brand growth
- Fairy’s retail sales performance outstrips its rivals
- Vanish continues to fend off competition from wash treatment rivals
- With over half of retail sales, Vanish is continuing to fend off competition
- Distribution channels
- Grocery multiples strengthen lead as economy recovers
- Grocery multiples dominate purchasing
- Market drivers
- Household consumption hit by inflationary pressures…
- Graph 8: household consumption, quarterly change, 2023-24
- …despite price stability returning to the economy
- Disappointing financial confidence illustrates continuing economic challenges
- Graph 9: index of financial confidence in the next year, 2020-24
- Consumers remain confident about the future
- Affordability and high quality are consistently the most important brand qualities
- Eco-friendly laundry choices
- Hanging greenwashing out to dry
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What Consumers Want and Why
- Laundry tasks and responsibilities
- Younger adults are most likely to have laundry responsibilities
- Graph 10: responsibility for doing the laundry, by age, 2023-24
- Women are key when purchasing and undertaking laundry tasks
- Middle-aged men are also engaged with fabric care
- Laundry frequency
- Growing trend towards undertaking laundry tasks once a week
- Graph 11: laundry frequency, 2022-24
- Parental demands offer opportunities to combine value and additional features
- Households with younger children do laundry most frequently
- Better engagement with less affluent and older adults could stimulate purchase
- Graph 12: laundry frequency (less than once a week), by generation and household income, 2024
- Be inclusive of older laundry consumers
- Use of laundry and fabric care products
- Concentrated and powder formulations dominate the market
- Graph 13: types of laundry detergents used in the past 12 months, 2023-24
- Most households use a limited repertoire of laundry products
- Graph 14: laundry detergent repertoires, 2024
- Convenient formats prove popular with women
- Traditional powder and powder tablets are popular with a number of groups
- Scent boosters shine as interest in other fabric care products stagnates
- Graph 15: types of fabric care products used in the past 12 months, 2023-24
- Level of laundry activity drives interest in fabric care products
- Graph 16: fabric care repertoires by those doing laundry every day vs once a week, 2024
- Specialist products are seeing increased interest
- Scent booster popularity with wealthier consumers hints at added-value opportunities
- Experience, and interest, towards laundry innovations
- Convenience dominates interest in innovations
- Graph 17: use, or interest in trying, laundry and fabric care products, 2024
- Women show a strong appetite for trying new products
- Graph 18: consumers who have not used, but would be interested in trying select laundry and fabric care products, by gender, 2024
- Wealthy households are well placed as early adopters
- Changes in approach towards undertaking laundry
- Those who do laundry every day find it hardest to reduce the frequency
- Changes associated with the cost-of-living squeeze continue
- Graph 19: changes in approach towards undertaking laundry in the past 12 months, 2024
- Tighter finances lead to downtrading in product use
- Young families offer a testing ground for new formats
- Packaging offers communication opportunity with young men
- Graph 20: consumers who have paid more attention to the packaging of laundry products in the last 12 months, by gender and age, 2024
- Purchase influencers
- Laundry consumers place high importance on scent
- Graph 21: attributes influencing the purchase of laundry detergents and fabric care products, 2024
- Women show their scent appeal
- Graph 22: importance of scent as a purchase influencer, by gender, 2024
- Men seek out stain effectiveness
- Offering sustainable packaging aligns well with those under 35
- Graph 23: importance of sustainable packaging as a purchase driver, by age, 2024
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Innovation And Marketing Trends
- Launch activity and innovation
- Fabric care is the second most important category for innovation…
- Graph 24: share of new household care product launches, by category, 2021-24
- …with automatic detergents and conditioners/softeners dominating activity
- Graph 25: share of new fabric care product launches, by sub-category, 2021-24
- Laundry detergent innovations seeking to offer more to consumers
- Capsules are an ever-present challenge to liquid detergent formats
- Graph 26: share of new laundry detergent launches, by format type, 2021-24
- Environmental claims take the lead in laundry care
- Graph 27: leading claims on new fabric care product launches, 2023-24
- Packaging and recycling claims are broadening
- Refillable products are growing their profile
- Fabric care NPD is focused on packaging and new varieties/extensions
- Graph 28: share of new fabric care product launches, by launch type, 2021-24
- Cater to parents’ needs for baby-specific fabric care
- Tallow + Ash brings a beauty influence to laundry care
- P&G and Unilever lead for laundry care innovation
- Graph 29: fabric care launches by ultimate company* (top five), 2023-24
- Retailers show increased interest towards product launches
- Graph 30: share of new fabric care product launches, by branded vs own-label, 2021-24
- Own label is upping activity across the fabric conditioner sector
- Retailers are keen to explore new opportunities
- Brands are shifting back to traditional fragrances with floral and fresh & clean currently the most popular
- Graph 31: share of new fabric care launches, by fragrance component group, 2022 and 2024
- Aromatherapy benefits gain interest
- Graph 32: share of new fabric care launches with aromatherapy claims, 2020-24
- Different scent combinations are an ever-present feature of NPD
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Innovation and product development fuel advertising investment
- Graph 33: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail ad expenditure on laundry and fabric care, 2020-24
- Fabric conditioners benefit from stronger growth in adspend
- Graph 34: total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on laundry and fabric care, by product group, 2020-24
- P&G and Unilever dominate investment
- Graph 35: total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on laundry and fabric care, by leading advertisers, 2023-24
- ‘Fast just got better’ with Persil Wonder Wash
- Unilever promotes two brands through a single ad
- Ariel highlights Febreze link to stress odour defence properties
- P&G stresses the ‘Whoosh of freshness’ of Lenor Unstoppable Scent Boosters
- Television is the preferred channel for advertisers
- Graph 36: recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on laundry and fabric care, by media type, 2023-24
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Appendix
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market forecast and prediction intervals, laundry and fabric care (value)
- Market forecast and prediction intervals, laundry detergents (value)
- Market forecast and prediction intervals, fabric care (value)
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Data sources
- Abbreviations and terms
- Methodology
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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