Magazine: Clean homes – more simply!

After years of stagnation the household cleaner category had commenced to grow in 2014 and this trend continued. We learned from Daniella Csefkó, retail marketing manager of Colgate–Palmolive Magyarország Kft. that the main driving force behind product innovation is to make cleaning simpler. In general we can say that Hungarian women like to save time and energy when it comes to cleaning, therefore demand is growing for multifunctional products. Ajax has always been a reliable brand for those who like their home to be squeaky clean and fresh. Ms Csefkó told that a good price-value ratio is increasingly important for shoppers, who compare per unit prices before making a buying decision. Consumers are on the lookout for products in promotion and various types of bargain deals (2 for the price of 1, etc.).

The Ultra brand has been present in the Hungarian market for more than 50 years. DunaPro is now working on revamping the brand – brand manager Eszter Szvák informed our magazine. In terms of pricing the company’s strategy is to offer lower prices than the manufacturers of international brands, while the products themselves are just as good. The Ultra Washing-up Powder, Ultra Derm and Ultra Sol product lines all have their loyal group of buyers. DunaPro plans to launch several new cleaners this year and they intend to change to look of some products. 2016 will bring the debut of the company’s stain remover and dishwasher tablet and they are optimistic about the performance of Ultra Mould Remover, which hit the shops in late 2015. Bernadett Vékásy, brand manager of Henkel Magyarország Kft. told Trade magazin that the market of window cleaner products improved a little in value but showed no growth in volume sales. Refill product sales dropped but volume sales of original (spray) products increased a bit. Henkel is the distributor of Clin window cleaners, for instance Clin Multi–Shine isn’t only perfect for cleaning glass: it can be used to clean more than 20 various surfaces. Dishwasher detergent sales are expanding in both value and volume. The tablet segment is growing but that of gels is increasing even faster, by about 10 percent.

Hypermarkets and drugstores made the biggest contribution to the category’s growth. The brand Somat is considered to be the expert of dishwashing; it is available in several formats (tablet, gel, gel capsule) and also offers water softener salt, dishwasher rinse aid, dishwasher cleaner and dishwasher freshener (Lemon, Odor–Block) products to consumers. As for the Hungarian market of manual washing-up liquids and detergents, although value sales bettered a little, volume sales dropped in the category. Just like with dishwasher products, shoppers are looking for large-size products; at the same time the sales of refill versions plunged recently. Consumers can choose from four Henkel product ranges in the category: Pur Duo Power, Balm, Pure&Natural and Pur Gold. Ms Vékásy told: as far as they can see the value sales growth was driven by the premium category, since both the value for money and the medium segments produced notable sales decline in comparison with 2014.

What about toilet cleaners? Sales increased a little in value but decreased a bit in volume. Products with bleach were able to grow in terms of both value and volume – the no-bleach segment went the opposite way. Consumers want products which are comfortable and easy to use. Henkel is present on store shelves with a wide range of products. Bref is a dominant brand in the market. Bref Power products are the perfect solution against dirt, limescale and mould in the toilet and in the bathroom alike, with universal products such as Bref Power Active WC Gel.

Toilet rim blocks are one of the fastest growing categories: sales were up almost 20 percent in value and more than 10 percent in volume. Products in this category can be grouped into five segments, from which the so-called solid one is growing, while the liquid one is stable in absolute value but keeps losing market share. Price-wise there are three main levels, which actually fall in line with 3 different product sizes – single, double- and triple-pack; from these the most ‘elastic’ is the double-pack if we consider normal promotions.

Edit Oláh, marketing manager of Freudenberg Bt. informed our magazine that cleaning product sales by market leader Vileda improved last year. The company pays special attention that its portfolio is innovative but also competitive in the value for money segment. Still, the majority of sales is realised by Vileda mops, the Supermop bucket, the Ultramax flat mop, Vileda cloths and sponges. The company’s Actifibre Cloth is unique in the market and uses patented technology: it is capable of absorbing 100ml of liquid and removes even the most stubborn stains.