Magazine: Mild but strict solutions against the insect invasion

There has been a sales growth in the market of insecticides and insect repellents recently, due to the invasion of various insects. For instance last June-July a mosquito invasion occurred.

Eszter Seres
brand manager
Henkel Magyarország

Eszter Seres, Henkel Magyarország Kft.’s brand manager told that their Vape brand was able to expand further, reaching a market share above 22 percent. According to Attila Zámbó, category manager of Bábolna Bio Kft., Nielsen measured HUF 6.58-billion sales for insecticides and insect repellents in 2019. Value sales were up 15.8 percent and volume sales improved by 12 percent. He revealed that the sales revenue realised in the peak months of July and August was bigger than the combined sales of the other 10 months of the year. Nóra Tremmel, managing director of Brands and More Hungary Kft. informed that 2019 was a year of a mosquito invasion, so sales augmented by 15-18 percent. Sales of the company’s ZigZag brand were even higher than the market average – because of the increased demand many people purchased insecticides and insect repellents in alternative retail channels that aren’t audited by Nielsen, such as DIY stores, gardening and farming stores.

Attila Zámbó
category manager
Bábolna Bio

Mr Zámbó reported that the most popular products last year were electronic, refill and spray products. Among product formats aerosols have remained the best sellers by far: insecticide and insect repellent aerosols made up for about 60 percent of total sales in 2019.

Nóra Tremmel
managing director
Brands and More
Hungary

Ms Tremmel reckons that from an environmental perspective the use of preventive measures such as insect traps would be a better solution. As of 1 April 2020 there is no aerial spraying from aeroplanes to protect consumers from mosquito invasion, so chemical methods on the land and biological solutions will be used more widely. This decreases the burden on the environment, but more mosquitoes will stay alive and this will entail increased demand for protective products applied to the skin. Ms Seres added that nowadays electronic and liquid refill products are the most popular.

Mr Zámbó informed that the development of retail channels results in the opening of many new markets in the segment, such as growing sales in the discount supermarket, drugstore and small shops channels. Bábolna Bio Kft.’s Biostop product is getting more popular as a growing number of shoppers want to buy products made of natural components instead of ‘poisons.’ Ms Seres pointed it out that sales of aerosol stink bug sprays increased in recent years, because stink bugs basically invaded Hungarian homes.

In the Henkel Vape product selection the best selling products are 100ml spray-on Derm Herbal and the Classic Electronic device plus liquid refill, which ensures protection for 60 nights against mosquitoes. Ms Seres revealed that many new product launches can be expected from the company in 2020. This year Brands and More Hungary Kft. concentrates on products applied to the skin. Ms Tremmel said they are rolling out two new products: ZigZag tick repellent spray and ZigZag Sport spray. Plus they will launch a spider repellent product too.

From Bábolna Bio Kft.’s products Protect anti-wasp aerosol realised the highest sales in 2019. Poison-free Biostop pantry moth traps and 150ml Protect mosquito and tick repellent aerosol were also selling in very high numbers last year – informed Mr Zámbó. //