| Laundry products : World moving in different directions |
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This might seem a long way from the New Zealand situation, but even in broad trends, the article remarked that the world is often moving in opposite directions at once. “For example, most people in the US and northern Europe prefer lighter fragrances their southern peers would find too watered down – or as having no scent at all.” DIRT IS GOOD Unilever is New Zealand’s leading laundry detergent manufacturer, with 53.3% market share*. The portfolio includes Persil, Surf & Drive. Persil and Surf are the number one and two brands in the market (27% & 25.7% share*), says Georgina Allen, brand manager Homecare NZ. “Persil prides itself on leading innovation in the market while delivering superior stain removal, and in the last year has launched Black Wash, Ultimate, and Pods (liquid capsules). The launch of Persil Pods in April this year was the most exciting thing to happen in the laundry market in many years. “The convenient pods are the brand’s most advanced liquid ever, with 50% more pre-treaters than Persil liquid, promising outstanding stain removal. Further, in the June issue of Consumer magazine, Persil’s new product, Ultimate was tested to be best performing powder on the market in both top loaders and front loaders,” Allen said. “Persil’s latest products, launched in June, are limited edition NZ Football and All Blacks packs, offering the chance to win a training session with the All Whites or All Blacks. Sponsoring two of New Zealand’s most popular ‘dirty’ sports is a great fit with the Persil brand and its philosophy of ‘dirt is good’.” Allen concluded: “In June last year, Unilever launched the Comfort brand into the fabric conditioner category with the ambition to grow the category. The launch has been very successful with the brand now having a 14.3% share YTD^ and being the number one brand in concentrated fabric conditioners. Since launch, the market has seen a shift from dilutes to concentrated products (+135.4% growth YTD vs YA^) and most significantly has achieved the ambition of category growth with market penetration increasing by 10.7% in the last year.”** *Aztec Fabric Cleaning, Dollar Value YTD to 13/05/12 ^Aztec Fabric Conditioners, Dollar Value YTD 13/05/12 **Nielsen 52 weeks to w/e 20/05/12 COLD POWER TREND Colgate Palmolive’s brands are: • Cold Power (detergent powders/liquids) Senior brand manager Kate Symes says Colgate-Palmolive is the number two in Laundry (detergents, fabric conditioners, pre-treaters) supplier with market share up YTD +1.1pts.* Colgate-Palmolive is also the only supplier with a regime presence in all three laundry steps (pre-treaters, detergents, fabric conditioners), she said. Products launched in the past 12 months include: • Fab / Fluffy Temptations range “The Fab Temptations concept has proved hugely successful,” says Symes. “It has been largely incremental to the Fab brand and the range has achieved a 2.9% value share (latest Qtr). The Temptations concept was also launched under Fluffy Fabric Conditioner for a unique layered fragrance offering. A Sweet Indulgence variant was added to the range earlier this year to further build on the Temptations concept. “The Cold Power 2kg range launched in February 2012 and is building momentum. The large 2kg size complements Cold Power’s 500g and 1kg bundles and is ideal for families or large households. “Cuddly Magic Moments, launched in May, is a premium concentrated fabric conditioner range and combines an enchanting boost of fragrance and 21 days of freshness,” said Symes. “We have seen a move to larger detergent powder pack sizes (1kg+), particularly in the full service environment (Progressive, New World). Liquid detergents are also gaining momentum, driven by NPD – more space dedicated at store level and a greater promotional focus. “Fabric conditioner concentrates are gaining in popularity with more space being dedicated to these formats in-store, with them now accounting for 33% of the market (latest Qtr).* Data from Aztec P/E 05/06/12 AMAZING RESULTS X-Pert Advanced Formula is a multi-purpose, multi-active laundry concentrate designed for both top loaders and front loaders, says Paramjit Dhatt, managing director I X-Pert Corporation. “It works well using hot or cold water and does a great handwash. X-Pert has been developed to target and remove tough stains from your wash and delivers outstanding results to whites and colours, adding extra softness and leaving a long lasting fresh fragrance. “Since the introduction of X-Pert Laundry Powder Concentrate in April this year, selected supermarkets selling the product have reported some amazing results. We have had a number of repeat orders and the consumer response to the efficiency of the product, together with its very competitive pricing, will see X-Pert on many more supermarket shelves before the end of the year,” Dhatt said. X-Pert Laundry Powder Concentrate is available in 250g, 500g, 1kg, 2kg and 5kg pack sizes. Dhatt says the 1kg pack is the most popular size. “Selling for an everyday price of $2.79 to $2.99, this represents excellent value for a premium laundry concentrate.” He says the product is suitable for: • Top and front loading machines “X-Pert Laundry Powder Concentrate is now sold in 18 countries and is delivering excellent margins for retailers throughout,” Dhatt said. GREEN PRODUCTS GAIN The Earthwise laundry range includes powders and liquids, fabric stain remover, oxygenated whitener, fabric softener and wool & delicates wash. “All our products are phosphate, nitrate, chlorine and ammonia free and are manufactured in New Zealand,” said director Jamie Peters. “Earlier this year we released a new range of sustainable laundry powders and liquids, harnessing the ancient power of lavender.” Products in the range include: • Laundry Powder Lavender 1kg & 2kg Peters says the Environmental Laundry category is worth $9.577m. “Earthwise has 26.6% share on MAT, but testament to its growth, currently has 35.5% share on latest quarter. Earthwise is showing 300% growth vs YA on latest quarter, driving category growth of 19.4% over this time. Key to this growth has been the launch of the new products: • Lavender laundry range across 1kg and 2kg powders and 750ml liquid format: 3.4% share on latest quarter Peters says green supermarket shopping is no longer just the domain of the wealthy. “We’ve demonstrated it is possible to produce effective NZ-made genuinely green products that can compete in price with regular chemical-based ranges.” SAFETY FIRST The ecostore range includes powder, liquid, soaker & stain remover, delicates & wool wash and fabric softener. The products in ecostore’s NZ-made plant and mineral based laundry range are free of potentially irritating and unnecessary chemicals, such as enzymes and optical whiteners, as well as synthetic perfumes and dyes, says Melissa Fletcher, marketing director – Australasia. “Before reaching the market, each product has to have met strict criteria. If there is any doubt about the safety of an ingredient for people’s health or the health of the environment, a safer alternative must be found.” Consideration for the environment is also a priority when it comes to manufacturing the range which is produced in the company’s ISO14001, Enviromark Diamond and carboNZero certified Auckland factory, she said. “Every laundry product has been independently tested to perform as well as the leading brand alternative with absolutely no compromise on performance, giving a beautifully clean, fresh-smelling wash every time. “ecostore does not use fillers or bulking agents in its formulations, which means the products are economically concentrated and a little goes a long way, saving customers’ money by cutting down significantly on cost per use. “ecostore laundry detergent was the standout performer in a recent survey by Canstar Blue in New Zealand where it beat the big name brands, coming out on top overall and receiving a 5-star rating in terms of cleaning quality, number of washes and feel of clothes,” Fletcher said. 
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As AdAge Global noted two years ago: “The biggest growth markets are where people are dreaming of moving up from hand washing to their first hand-cranked or semi-automatic washing machine, or are looking for lower-suds products or rinse additives that will let them make fewer or shorter trips to the well or river.”