The incidence for online shopping is near total (96%), but more impressive is the frequency and voracity with which it occurs. In fact, 46% of consumers made more than half of their total purchases online as opposed to in store in the last year. It’s no surprise that the incidence of purchasing household surface cleaners online is strong (83%). With the prevalence of ecommerce, online product discovery is a natural byproduct. Within the online realm, social media has the strongest reach. Therefore, it’s essential for household cleaning players to maintain a strong online presence to engage consumers where they are.
The household cleaning category is challenged by the fact that most consumers are uncertain about product efficacy until they have tried a product. This is why so many shoppers rely on personal recommendations and sampling before purchase. Because a degree of uncertainty exists in trying new products, industry players should focus on boosting consumer confidence. Cleaning influencers/content creators, apps, tutorials and emerging technology can help consumers gain greater education on effective and efficient cleaning and the products/tools used to achieve it. Guiding users on product selection based on their personal needs/interests could help household cleaning brands boost trial and satisfaction rates.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Market factors impacting online shopping and the household cleaning category
- Opportunities to improve online product discovery and purchase incidence
- Online shopping incidence, frequency and devices used
- A look into how consumers shop online for household cleaning products relating to efficacy, price, brand and familiarity
- Ways consumers typically discover new household cleaning products and brands
- Product attributes and marketing strategies that motivate consumers to learn more about new products
- Attitudes toward household cleaning products, including rationales regarding product discovery, trial, brand values and confidence in product selection
Successful online product discovery requires effective and multipurpose products. While discovery is more likely to occur online, omnichannel efforts will aid awareness.
Vince DiGirolamo, Director, North America Reports
Market Definitions
Online product discovery refers to how consumers discover and engage with new household cleaning brands and products online. The following household cleaning tasks are covered:
- cleaning the kitchen (ie countertop, stovetop, tiles)
- cleaning the oven
- vacuuming floors
- mopping/sweeping floors
- polishing/dusting items
- cleaning the bathroom (ie bath, sinks, tiles)
- toilet cleaning
- window cleaning
- cleaning upholstery/fabrics.
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Executive Summary
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- What consumers want and why
- Opportunities
- Opportunity for science-backed ingredients to drive safety and efficacy associations
- Opportunity for thoughtful approach to a sustainable and clean home
- Opportunity to harness the power of consumer reviews and social media partnerships
- Opportunity for AI to aid online discovery
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Market Dynamics
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Annual inflation sits at 2.5% as of August, the lowest it has been since March 2021
- Graph 1: headline CPI and core CPI, 2021-24
- Unemployment slightly ticked down in August
- Graph 2: unemployment rate, 2019-24
- Consumer sentiment rebounds after a number of months on the slide
- Graph 3: consumer sentiment index, 2022-24
- Over 40% of consumers have seen their financial situations change for the better in the past year
- Graph 4: change in financial situation over the past 12 months, 2024
- Households' growth in finances has primarily been driven by salary gains
- Graph 5: income growth over the past 12 months, by change in financial situation, 2024
- Households' outlooks on their personal finances remains bullish
- Graph 6: income growth in the past 12 months, by financial outlook, 2024
- Graph 7: opinions on financial future, 2024
- Healthy financial situations encourage online shopping
- Graph 8: online shopping frequency – NET, by financial situation, 2024
- Restrictive financial situations drive shoppers to brick-and-mortar retail
- Graph 9: amount of purchases made online, by financial situation, 2024
- Prioritizing price is paramount for those on a budget
- Graph 10: approach to shopping online for household cleaning products, by financial situation, 2024
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Consumers: who, when and where…
- Consumers: what and why…
- Online shopping frequency
- Online shopping is both widespread and frequent
- Graph 11: online shopping frequency in the past 12 months, 2024
- Nearly half of all adults are heavy online shoppers
- Graph 12: online shopping frequency in the past 12 months – NET, 2024
- The majority of young adults are heavy online shoppers
- Graph 13: online shopping frequency in the past 12 months – NET, by generation, 2024
- Parents are heavy online shoppers
- Graph 14: online shopping frequency in past 12 months – NET, by parental status, 2024
- Black consumers are the least likely to shop frequently online
- Graph 15: online shopping frequency in the past 12 months – NET, by race/Hispanic origin, 2024
- Devices used to shop online
- Mobile devices are widely used for online shopping
- Graph 16: devices used to shop online, 2024
- Older generations are using mobile devices for shopping too
- Graph 17: devices used to shop online, by generation, 2024
- Leveraging parents' propensity for mobile shopping
- Graph 18: devices used to shop online, by parental status, 2024
- Online vs in store
- Incidence for online shopping and in store is nearly split
- Graph 19: amount of purchases made online, 2024
- Gen Zers, Millennials and parents conduct a larger share of purchases online
- Graph 20: amount of purchases made online, by generation, 2024
- Graph 21: amount of purchases made online, by parental status, 2024
- Shopping responsibility
- Nearly everyone is involved in the category; the majority are solely responsible
- Graph 22: role in shopping for household cleaning products, 2024
- When men become dads, they tend to take on more responsibility for shopping
- Graph 23: role in shopping for household cleaning products, by parent's gender, 2024
- Graph 24: role in shopping for household cleaning products, by gender, 2024
- Household cleaning products shopped for online
- Paper towels have highest incidence for online purchase
- Graph 25: household cleaning items shopped for online, 2024
- Opportunities for drug, dollar and convenience stores in the ecommerce space
- Graph 26: household cleaning items shopped for online – surface cleaner NET, by generation, 2024
- Millennials shop heavily online across all product types, whereas Gen Zers overindex for disposable wipes and bleach
- Graph 27: household cleaning items shopped for online, by generation, 2024
- Parents buy all types of household surface cleaners online
- Graph 28: household cleaning items shopped for online – surface cleaner NET, by parental status, 2024
- Hispanic consumers are more likely to shop household cleaners online
- Graph 29: household cleaning items shopped for online – surface cleaner NET, by race/Hispanic origin, 2024
- Online shopping approach
- Efficacy is a priority
- Graph 30: approach to shopping online for household cleaning items, 2024
- Generational divide on prioritizing price vs effectiveness
- Graph 31: approach to shopping online for household cleaning items – effectiveness vs price, by generation, 2024
- Black consumers are more likely to prioritize price and familiarity
- Graph 32: approach to shopping online for household cleaning items, by race, 2024
- Procurement preference
- Mass merchandisers and Amazon are popular destinations when shoppers are looking for new cleaning products or brands
- Exposing shoppers to new household cleaning items or brands requires placement across a variety of channels
- Graph 33: procurement preference for new household cleaning items/brands – any shopping NET, 2024
- Consumers prefer to look for new products when they are in store
- Graph 34: procurement preference for new household cleaning items/brands, by channel, 2024
- Amazon has a substantial lead in online platforms used to learn about new cleaning products
- Graph 35: procurement preference for new household cleaning items/brands – online, 2024
- Gen Zers seek out alternative online channels to learn about new household cleaning products
- Graph 36: procurement preference for new household cleaning items/brands – online, by generation, 2024
- Product discovery
- Social media drives online discovery of household cleaning products
- Younger adults and parents demonstrate huge uptake for online product discovery
- Graph 37: sources of learning about household cleaning items/brands – any online NET, by generation, 2024
- Graph 38: sources of learning about household cleaning items/brands – any online NET, by parental status, 2024
- Traditional marketing strategies are still effective
- Graph 39: sources of learning about household cleaning items/brands, 2024
- Having a social strategy is key to ensuring product discovery among Gen Z
- Graph 40: sources of learning about household cleaning items/brands, by parental status, 2024
- Graph 41: sources of learning about household cleaning items/brands, by generation, 2024
- Motivations for discovery
- Multifunctional products are attention grabbers
- Versatility builds value
- Graph 42: motivations to learn more about new household cleaning items/brands, 2024
- Appeal to Gen Z with packaging and eco-friendly claims
- Graph 43: motivations to learn more about new household cleaning items/brands, by generation, 2024
- Parents are attracted to products that are safe, effective and convenient
- Graph 44: motivations to learn more about new household cleaning items/brands, by parental status, 2024
- Scent plays an important role in converting potential Hispanic customers into purchasers
- Recommendations from trusted people prompt interest
- Graph 45: motivations to learn more about new household cleaning items/brands, 2024
- Personal recommendations and price sway Baby Boomers
- Graph 46: motivations to learn more about new household cleaning items/brands, by generation, 2024
- Parents are doing their research with reviews
- Attitudes toward cleaning products
- Buying without trying presents a challenge
- Graph 47: attitudes toward household cleaning products, 2024
- Multicultural consumers seek personalized recommendations
- Graph 48: attitudes toward household cleaning products, by race/Hispanic origin, 2024
- Gen Z's lack of cleaning knowledge fuels interest in personalized recommendations and sampling
- Graph 49: attitudes toward household cleaning products, by generation, 2024
- Sampling could be good, but personalized guidance is even better for parents
- Graph 50: attitudes toward household cleaning products, by parental status, 2024
- Knowledge is power when it comes to category purchases
- Graph 51: attitudes toward household cleaning products, 2024
- Younger generations and parents want to learn but agree it's easier to discover new brands in store than online
- Graph 52: attitudes toward household cleaning products, by parental status, 2024
- Graph 53: attitudes toward household cleaning products, by generation, 2024
- Store brands and mainstream brands are on equal playing fields; brand values drive trial
- Graph 54: attitudes toward household cleaning products, 2024
- Gen Z highly considers brand values
- Graph 55: attitudes toward household cleaning products, by generation, 2024
- Parents are more likely to chance unfamiliar products when shopping online
- Graph 56: attitudes toward household cleaning products, by parental status, 2024
- Multicultural consumers consider brand identity
- Graph 57: attitudes toward household cleaning products, by race/Hispanic origin, 2024
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Innovation and Marketing strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Desire for efficacy opens the door to less well-known brands
- Innovative cleaning brands combine multifunctional versatility with added features
- Scent can differentiate a brand in a highly saturated market
- Aligning with the audience over shared values
- Marketing and advertising
- Social media makes household cleaning interesting and trendy
- #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt shows off trending new products
- Influencers educate and motivate followers
- Forging partnerships with social media creators boosts online product discovery and purchase incidence
- The Pink Stuff develops a brand identity through social and retail partnerships
- Parlaying viral success into brand loyalty
- As online sales of household cleaning products continue to grow, JAWS is offering an eco-friendly solution to "stop shipping water"
- JAWS sponsors Hannah's Happy Home video, which has 279K subscribers on YouTube
- Blueland expands from DTC to physical retail
- Meeting consumer demand with placement in Costco
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Appendix
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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