The Future of Laundry Care: Capitalizing On Emerging Trends and Changing Preferences

Introduction

The laundry care market in established economies is resistant to change and is characterized by some degree of inertia. However, consumers' preferences and product innovations are gradually evolving even in the most stable markets, with marked change occurring in emerging markets, as relative affluence increases and the approach to laundry care progresses.

Scope

*Covers laundry care, with a thorough exploration of market value and volume figures at the category level

*Detailed analysis on consumer attitudes towards, and perceived influence of, different product features and benefits impacting choice

*In-depth action points offering practical strategies based on the trends and insights uncovered in the report

*Covers five major geographic territories: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, MENA and Latin America

Highlights

The sales of laundry detergents, as a proportion of overall laundry care products are lowest in Saudi Arabia (55.9%) and Japan (58.5%) and highest in Russia (84.7%) and India (84.5%).

In Sweden, conditioners account for less than 4% of the market value, but as much as 32.2% in Saudi Arabia; a significant variance. Where conditioner sales are relatively low, producers should attempt to increase sales or bundle the ingredients and price of conditioners into the price of complete multi-function detergents.

For Indian consumers, natural ingredients are indeed a high level concern (for 72.8% vs. 76.1% for ease of use). In India, the high prevalence of washing by hand makes natural ingredients more welcome for consumers due to their enhanced gentleness on the skin.

Reasons to Purchase

*Develop better targeted products with detailed understanding of laundry care needs and preferences of consumers across 17 countries

*Access data analysis from two waves of primary consumer research, and best practice examples of innovative and effectively marketed products

*Improve your marketing with best-practice examples. Develop action plans using Datamonitor's recommendations as a catalyst for idea generation


Report Highlights

[Fade out the market survey infos]

Overview 1
Catalyst 1
Summary 1
Table of Contents 2
Table of figures 3
Table of tables 4
THE FUTURE DECODED 5
INTRODUCTION 5
Consumers' laundry product choices are influenced by a variety of inherent and product-external factors 5
TREND: The laundry care market shows slow value growth in mature national markets 7
Sales of detergents form the bulk of the laundry care market 8
Consumer spending on fabric conditioner varies widely 9
Stain removers are also an important section of the laundry care market 10
Key takeouts and implications: The value of the laundry market is likely either to remain stable or experience slight growth or decline 11
TREND: The volume of the laundry care market is likely to decline in the short term 12
Consumers can still be encouraged to use fabric conditioners more extensively 13
Key takeouts and implications: volume gains in emerging economies will be offset by apparent losses in established markets 15
INSIGHT: Inherent product attributes matter to consumers, but are not everything 15
Product effectiveness is taken as a given by consumers 16
Men's view of product performance differs from that of women 17
Natural ingredients have been a key area of product development but elicit little consumer response 18
Gender differences are slight in relation to natural ingredients 19
Consumers value the fragrance or scent of laundry products 22
Women greatly appreciate the fragrance profile of their preferred laundry products 23
Time saving products appeal to consumers but are aligned with one of the least important core attributes 24
Women value time-saving laundry products more than men 26
Among inherent product features, multi-function convenience is moderately important as a purchase driver 26
Multi-functionality in laundry products appeals to men 27
Consumers want ease of use as a given 28
Ease of use is a major consideration for women in laundry product choice 29
Key takeouts and implications: inherent product attributes enjoy varying levels of importance for consumers. 30
INSIGHT: Attributes of the 'extended product' have widely varying effects on purchase 31
Price has a high importance for consumers for many reasons 31
Price divides opinion between men and women in differing ways 32
Consumers are not inclined to consider ethics when buying laundry products 33
The differing importance of ethics to men and women consumers is slight 35
Consumers buy ethical and eco-friendly household and laundry products (marginally) more frequently than those with natural ingredients 35
Consumers state that brand image has little influence in their shopping choices 37
Brand image is both one of the least consequential and most gender-neutral purchase drivers 38
Key takeouts and implications: the concept of the extended product has the greatest effect on consumers' purchases of laundry products 39
INSIGHT: Storage is a low level purchase driver for consumers 40
Ease of storage is at present a moderate concern for consumers 40
Men are relatively appreciative of easy storage 41
Key takeouts and implications: product storage is a minor consideration for consumers 42
INSIGHT: Consumers feel that inertia has little effect on their laundry care purchases 43
Inertia varies among consumers of different countries 43
Women are greater brand adherents than men 45
Inertia at the household level is thought to have only a minor impact 46
Men buy the brands they think other members of their households want 46
Key takeouts and implications: the laundry care market is affected by inertia, but consumers believe they are open to change 47
INSIGHT: Consumers feel that many marketing techniques do not affect their behavior 48
Consumers do not recognize word-of-mouth as an important influence on their laundry care purchases 48
Men and women attribute similar importance to word-of-mouth recommendations 49
Free product samples have a moderate effect on consumer behavior 50
Women appreciate free samples of laundry care products 51
The importance of promotional offers to consumers varies widely by national market 52
Consumers view promotional offers differently according to retail norms in their home market 53
Key takeouts and implications: marketing tactics are not regarded as influential but their necessity cannot be denied 54
ACTION POINTS 55
ACTION: Target the rich variety of clothing colors, shades and finishes 55
ACTION: Cater for the variety of garment fabrics available to consumers 56
ACTION: Formulate effective products to clean exercise clothing 57
ACTION: Tailor detergents to specific washing tasks 58
ACTION: Address the polarizing demographic trends in many countries 59
ACTION: Make skin sensitivity a core theme of product development 61
ACTION: Address the clothes drying needs of consumers 61
ACTION: Cater to the money-saving preferences of recession-inspired consumers 62
ACTION: Use packaging to create stand-out shelf presence 64
ACTION: Consider the possibilities beyond traditional laundry detergents 65
APPENDIX 67
Additional data 67
Definitions 115
Methodology 116
Further reading and references 116
Ask the analyst 117
Datamonitor consulting 117
Disclaimer 117
List of Tables
Table 1: Laundry care overall market value (US$ m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 7
Table 2: Washing detergent market value (US$ m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 9
Table 3: Fabric conditioner market value (US$ m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 10
Table 4: Stain removers (and other laundry additives) market value (US$ m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 11
Table 5: Washing detergent market volume (Kg m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 12
Table 6: Fabric conditioner market volume (Kg m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 13
Table 7: Stain removers and other additives market volume (units m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 14
Table 8: Overall importance of product attributes in deciding purchase intentions, across 15 countries, 2008 16
Table 9: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of product effectiveness in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 2008 17
Table 10: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of natural ingredients in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 2008 19
Table 11: Consumer survey 2009: Purchase frequency of household & laundry products with natural & organic ingredients, in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2009 21
Table 12: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of scent / fragrance in choosing laundry products in 15 countries, 2008 23
Table 13: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of time-saving convenience in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 25
Table 14: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of multi-function convenience in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 27
Table 15: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of use in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 29
Table 16: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of price in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 32
Table 17: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ethics in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 34
Table 18: Consumer survey 2009: Purchase frequency of household & laundry products with ethical / environmental benefits, in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, 2009 36
Table 19: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of brand image in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 38
Table 20: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of storage in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 41
Table 21: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of habit or preferred brand in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 44
Table 22: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of household preferences in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 46
Table 23: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of word-of-mouth recommendations in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 49
Table 24: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of free product samples in choosing laundry products 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 51
Table 25: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of promotional offers in choosing laundry products 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 53
Table 26: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of product effectiveness in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 67
Table 27: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of product effectiveness in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 68
Table 28: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of product effectiveness in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 69
Table 29: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of natural ingredients in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 70
Table 30: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of natural ingredients in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 71
Table 31: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of natural ingredients in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 72
Table 32: Consumer survey 2009: Purchase frequency of household & laundry products with natural & organic ingredients, female consumers, in 17 countries, 2009 73
Table 33: Consumer survey 2009: Purchase frequency of household & laundry products with natural & organic ingredients, male consumers, in 17 countries, 2009 74
Table 34: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of scent / fragrance in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 75
Table 35: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of scent / fragrance in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 76
Table 36: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of scent / fragrance in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 77
Table 37: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of time-saving convenience in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 78
Table 38: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of time-saving convenience in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 79
Table 39: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of time-saving convenience in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 80
Table 40: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of multi-purpose functionality in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 81
Table 41: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of multi-purpose functionality in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 82
Table 42: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of multi-purpose functionality in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 83
Table 43: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of use in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 84
Table 44: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of use in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 85
Table 45: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of use in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 86
Table 46: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of price in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 87
Table 47: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of price in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 88
Table 48: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of price in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 89
Table 49: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ethics in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 90
Table 50: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ethics in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 91
Table 51: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ethics in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 92
Table 52: Consumer survey 2009: Purchase frequency of household & laundry products with ethical credentials, female consumers, in 17 countries, 2009 93
Table 53: Consumer survey 2009: Purchase frequency of household & laundry products with ethical credentials, male consumers, in 17 countries, 2009 94
Table 54: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of brand image in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 95
Table 55: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of brand image in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 96
Table 56: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of brand image in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 97
Table 57: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of storage in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 98
Table 58: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of storage in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 99
Table 59: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of storage in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 100
Table 60: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of habit / preferred brand in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 101
Table 61: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of habit / preferred brand in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 102
Table 62: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of habit / preferred brand in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 103
Table 63: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of household preferences in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 104
Table 64: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of household preferences in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 105
Table 65: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of household preferences in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 106
Table 66: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of peer recommendations in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 107
Table 67: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of peer recommendations in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 108
Table 68: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of peer recommendations in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 109
Table 69: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of free product samples in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 110
Table 70: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of free product samples in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 111
Table 71: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of free product samples in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 112
Table 72: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of promotional offers in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 113
Table 73: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of promotional offers in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 114
Table 74: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of promotional offers in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 115
List of Figures
Figure 1: Laundry product choice is influenced by a variety of inherent and external factors 6
Figure 2: Inherent products attributes are core to laundry care purchases 15
Figure 3: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: product effectiveness, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 2008 18
Figure 4: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: natural ingredients, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 2008 20
Figure 5: Gender differences in purchase household / laundry purchase frequency: natural ingredients, 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, 2009 20
Figure 6: Gender variance in the perceived importance of protecting the environment (women compared to men), in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 2008 22
Figure 7: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: scent / fragrance, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 2008 24
Figure 8: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: time-saving convenience, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 26
Figure 9: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: multi-function convenience, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 28
Figure 10: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: ease of use, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 30
Figure 11: Extended product attributes will inevitably matter to consumers 31
Figure 12: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: price, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 33
Figure 13: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: ethics, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 35
Figure 14: Gender differences in purchase household / laundry purchase frequency: ethics, in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, 2009 37
Figure 15: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: brand image, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 39
Figure 16: Packaging is all too often under-utilized 40
Figure 17: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: ease of storage, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 42
Figure 18: Inertia is a key factor in the laundry care market 43
Figure 19: Importance of preferred brand in choosing laundry products, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 44
Figure 20: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: habit / preferred brand, 15 countries, 2008 45
Figure 21: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: household preferences, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 47
Figure 22: Marketing techniques in the laundry care market tend to be subtle and incremental 48
Figure 23: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: peer recommendations, 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 50
Figure 24: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: free product samples, 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 52
Figure 25: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: promotional offers, 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 54
Figure 26: Detergents already exist for white and color garments with further specialization potential 56
Figure 27: Fabric-specific detergents are a niche with potential worth exploring 57
Figure 28: Physical exercise creates a new set of laundry occasions 58
Figure 29: Underwear laundry can be a profitable source of product development 59
Figure 30: Baby-friendly laundry products are a strong future market opportunity 60
Figure 31: Sensitive skin is a universal product opportunity 61
Figure 32: Opportunities exist in clothes drying as much as clothes washing 62
Figure 33: Consumers expect packaging of all sizes to be convenient to use 63
Figure 34: Consumers must be expected to take better care of their existing clothes 64
Figure 35: Packaging must be used for more than just storage 65
Figure 36: Traditional laundry detergents are now under threat 66

[Fade out table of contents]

List of Tables
Table 1: Laundry care overall market value (US$ m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 7
Table 2: Washing detergent market value (US$ m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 9
Table 3: Fabric conditioner market value (US$ m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 10
Table 4: Stain removers (and other laundry additives) market value (US$ m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 11
Table 5: Washing detergent market volume (Kg m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 12
Table 6: Fabric conditioner market volume (Kg m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 13
Table 7: Stain removers and other additives market volume (units m), in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2004-2014 14
Table 8: Overall importance of product attributes in deciding purchase intentions, across 15 countries, 2008 16
Table 9: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of product effectiveness in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 2008 17
Table 10: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of natural ingredients in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 2008 19
Table 11: Consumer survey 2009: Purchase frequency of household & laundry products with natural & organic ingredients, in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, 2009 21
Table 12: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of scent / fragrance in choosing laundry products in 15 countries, 2008 23
Table 13: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of time-saving convenience in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 25
Table 14: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of multi-function convenience in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 27
Table 15: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of use in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 29
Table 16: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of price in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 32
Table 17: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ethics in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 34
Table 18: Consumer survey 2009: Purchase frequency of household & laundry products with ethical / environmental benefits, in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, 2009 36
Table 19: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of brand image in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 38
Table 20: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of storage in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 41
Table 21: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of habit or preferred brand in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 44
Table 22: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of household preferences in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 46
Table 23: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of word-of-mouth recommendations in choosing laundry products in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 49
Table 24: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of free product samples in choosing laundry products 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 51
Table 25: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of promotional offers in choosing laundry products 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 53
Table 26: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of product effectiveness in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 67
Table 27: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of product effectiveness in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 68
Table 28: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of product effectiveness in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 69
Table 29: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of natural ingredients in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 70
Table 30: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of natural ingredients in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 71
Table 31: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of natural ingredients in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 72
Table 32: Consumer survey 2009: Purchase frequency of household & laundry products with natural & organic ingredients, female consumers, in 17 countries, 2009 73
Table 33: Consumer survey 2009: Purchase frequency of household & laundry products with natural & organic ingredients, male consumers, in 17 countries, 2009 74
Table 34: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of scent / fragrance in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 75
Table 35: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of scent / fragrance in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 76
Table 36: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of scent / fragrance in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 77
Table 37: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of time-saving convenience in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 78
Table 38: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of time-saving convenience in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 79
Table 39: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of time-saving convenience in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 80
Table 40: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of multi-purpose functionality in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 81
Table 41: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of multi-purpose functionality in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 82
Table 42: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of multi-purpose functionality in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 83
Table 43: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of use in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 84
Table 44: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of use in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 85
Table 45: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of use in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 86
Table 46: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of price in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 87
Table 47: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of price in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 88
Table 48: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of price in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 89
Table 49: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ethics in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 90
Table 50: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ethics in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 91
Table 51: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ethics in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 92
Table 52: Consumer survey 2009: Purchase frequency of household & laundry products with ethical credentials, female consumers, in 17 countries, 2009 93
Table 53: Consumer survey 2009: Purchase frequency of household & laundry products with ethical credentials, male consumers, in 17 countries, 2009 94
Table 54: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of brand image in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 95
Table 55: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of brand image in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 96
Table 56: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of brand image in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 97
Table 57: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of storage in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 98
Table 58: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of storage in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 99
Table 59: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of ease of storage in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 100
Table 60: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of habit / preferred brand in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 101
Table 61: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of habit / preferred brand in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 102
Table 62: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of habit / preferred brand in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 103
Table 63: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of household preferences in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 104
Table 64: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of household preferences in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 105
Table 65: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of household preferences in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 106
Table 66: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of peer recommendations in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 107
Table 67: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of peer recommendations in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 108
Table 68: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of peer recommendations in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 109
Table 69: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of free product samples in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 110
Table 70: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of free product samples in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 111
Table 71: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of free product samples in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 112
Table 72: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of promotional offers in choosing laundry products among female consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 113
Table 73: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of promotional offers in choosing laundry products among male consumers, in 15 countries, 2008 114
Table 74: Consumer survey 2008: Importance of promotional offers in choosing laundry products among married parents with children at home, in 15 countries, 2008 115

List of Figures
Figure 1: Laundry product choice is influenced by a variety of inherent and external factors 6
Figure 2: Inherent products attributes are core to laundry care purchases 15
Figure 3: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: product effectiveness, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 2008 18
Figure 4: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: natural ingredients, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 2008 20
Figure 5: Gender differences in purchase household / laundry purchase frequency: natural ingredients, 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, 2009 20
Figure 6: Gender variance in the perceived importance of protecting the environment (women compared to men), in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 2008 22
Figure 7: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: scent / fragrance, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 2008 24
Figure 8: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: time-saving convenience, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 26
Figure 9: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: multi-function convenience, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 28
Figure 10: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: ease of use, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 30
Figure 11: Extended product attributes will inevitably matter to consumers 31
Figure 12: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: price, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 33
Figure 13: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: ethics, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 35
Figure 14: Gender differences in purchase household / laundry purchase frequency: ethics, in 17 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, 2009 37
Figure 15: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: brand image, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 39
Figure 16: Packaging is all too often under-utilized 40
Figure 17: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: ease of storage, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 42
Figure 18: Inertia is a key factor in the laundry care market 43
Figure 19: Importance of preferred brand in choosing laundry products, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 44
Figure 20: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: habit / preferred brand, 15 countries, 2008 45
Figure 21: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: household preferences, in 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 47
Figure 22: Marketing techniques in the laundry care market tend to be subtle and incremental 48
Figure 23: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: peer recommendations, 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 50
Figure 24: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: free product samples, 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 52
Figure 25: Gender differences in laundry product choice factor: promotional offers, 15 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, 2008 54
Figure 26: Detergents already exist for white and color garments with further specialization potential 56
Figure 27: Fabric-specific detergents are a niche with potential worth exploring 57
Figure 28: Physical exercise creates a new set of laundry occasions 58
Figure 29: Underwear laundry can be a profitable source of product development 59
Figure 30: Baby-friendly laundry products are a strong future market opportunity 60
Figure 31: Sensitive skin is a universal product opportunity 61
Figure 32: Opportunities exist in clothes drying as much as clothes washing 62
Figure 33: Consumers expect packaging of all sizes to be convenient to use 63
Figure 34: Consumers must be expected to take better care of their existing clothes 64
Figure 35: Packaging must be used for more than just storage 65
Figure 36: Traditional laundry detergents are now under threat 66
[Fade out list of tables / figures]