The future might belong to specialised washing agents

According to Nielsen data, the quantity of washing agents sold last year dropped somewhat. However, this is not bad news for manufacturers who launched a campaign two years ago, promoting the economic use of compact washing agents. Sales were down by 1 percent in terms of quantity last year. Sales totalled HUF 37.5 billion. Average price stagnated around HUF 500. The price of gels began to drop early in 2008, eventually falling by 15 percent. By October, the price of washing powders had risen by 6-8 percent, while that of liquids increased by 15 percent. Washing powders still account for 73 percent of total sales in terms of quantity, but this market share is shrinking, while both liquids and gels show dynamic growth. Henkel Magyarország, the market leader boosted its market share by 2-3 percent both in terms of quantity and value, compared to the first ten months of 2007. Persil Gold Plus launched in 2008 has made a significant contribution to this success. This product is also available combined with the Silan fragrance. Almond milk was the innovation introduced for Tomi Kristály in 2007. All versions of Tomi Kristály are also manufactured in liquid form. Biopon is now also available in a “mountain air” version. The specialised Perwoll product line has been expanded with new versions for black and coloured textiles. Specialised washing agents which are regarded as premium products, produced dynamic growth in 2008. However, these are often more economical to use than conventional products, which means they should continue to have potential for growth even during economic recession. Hyper markets continue to account for the largest part of sales. Drugstores have increase their market share at the expense of medium size retail units, while sales have also expanded in smaller than 50 square meter units. Private labels have achieved a market share of 18.9 percent. Sales of additives are growing. Clorox marketed by DunaPro Zrt is available 3 fragrance versions, while Clorox Color comes in two fragrances. 2008 was also a good year for Reckitt Benckiser. Vanish is popular and available in powder, liquid, gel and soap versions. The stain remover Ariel Professional was launched in Hungary in 2008. It is sold by Procter and Gamble in powder and spray versions.