Short wash cycle, long-lasting effect

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2026/02-03

The laundry detergent category achieved a turnover of HUF 68.9bn in 2025, representing a 1.1% rise in value and plus 5.6% in volume sales if compared to the previous year. Following price increases in recent years, a 4.3% average price drop was observed in 2025, which can be attributed primarily to the introduction of the margin freeze.

The market is dominated by rapidly expanding liquid products, with gels representing the largest segment within this category

A natural decision

Yvette Krubl
corporate communications 
manager, CEE
Procter&Gamble

Procter & Gamble’s laundry detergent innovations are always driven by available innovations and consumer trends. One of the most notable trends is the growing demand for energy efficiency, which is also reflected in the development work of the Ariel brand.

“It is paramount to us that our innovations don’t compromise, but rather provide tangible benefits to consumers. Part of this is making technological developments available in a wallet-friendly way, so that sustainable choices don’t require extra effort, but can be a natural decision”,

explains Yvette Krubl, Procter & Gamble’s corporate communications manager in Central Europe.

Hungary is considered a particularly fragrance-loving market, so in response to this consumer demand the Ariel Touch of Lenor collection was launched in the spring of 2024, combining the cleaning power of Ariel with the well-known fragrances of Lenor.

Discount stores, drugstores and hypermarkets continue to represent the three most influential channels

Focus on performance

Anna Erdődi
brand manager
Henkel Magyarország

Anna Erdődi, brand manager at Henkel Magyarország Kft. points out that our clothes are an essential part of our everyday lives. In 2026 the Persil Deep Clean relaunch will focus on the performance of the products, which make the clothes shine.

“In addition to this, our CSR and sustainability initiatives will continue to play a prominent role next year, as will the Sensitive product range”,

the expert reveals.

The market is dominated by liquid products – the share of these has grown dynamically over the past year. On the detergent market gels represent the largest segment in terms of both value and volume.

Switching to sprint

Zsuzsa Petrikovics
laundry brand manager
Unilever Magyarország

Unilever’s detergent sales grew by 24.5% in value in 2025. The Coccolino brand played a special role in this, realising 48% growth, primarily due to the launch of liquid detergent Wonder Wash and the associated marketing campaign. The company has a 6.2% manufacturer share on the domestic detergent market with three brands: Coccolino has a 4.2% share, Omo has a 1.1% share and Surf has a 0.9 percent share.

“In 2026 Coccolino will receive comprehensive media support with high-reach online and offline tools. Our communication materials will feature Usain Bolt, the world record holding sprinter, who represents the message of speed”,

reveals laundry brand manager Zsuzsa Petrikovics.

Reviving traditions

Judit Mosoni-Preisz
brand manager
GeePower Manufacturing

GeePower Manufacturing Kft. put several new products on the market in 2025, among which the reintroduction of the old, well-known Ultra Viola brand – with a renewed portfolio – played a big role. The 900g, 1.5kg and 3kg COLOR washing powders are primarily sought after by wholesale partners, but at the beginning of the year, one of the largest discount chains also organised a major promotion for these products.

“Besides our promotions in print media, our target audience can find us the most on social media platforms. Next February we will be supporting the Ultra brand with a nationwide billboard campaign”,

says brand manager Judit Mosoni-Preisz.

The master of disinfection

Gabriella Kőrösy
general manager
AC Marca Hungary

Within the portfolio of AC Marca Hungary Kft., Sanytol laundry additives produced superb sales results in 2025. Consumer focus on hygiene continued to grow, which increased demand for disinfectant laundry additives and special cleaning products. Sanytol Disinfectant Laundry Additive has strengthened its positions, as it effectively kills bacteria and viruses even at 20°C. The product range was expanded with a new fragrance in 2025 and the launch of Active Fresh was a big success.

“In 2026 our goal is to make the benefits of Sanytol even more visible to consumers with marketing campaigns”,

we learn from Gabriella Kőrösy, general manager of AC Marca Hungary Kft.

The category is attractive to new entrants, particularly for smaller brands with a niche positioning

More and more expectations

When choosing a laundry detergent, Hungarian consumers expect effective cleaning and stain removal, good value for money, a fresh scent, and protection of colours and fabrics. At the same time, it has become increasingly important for the product to deliver reliable performance at low temperatures and in short wash cycles, as these programmes save both time and energy. As for the packaging, there is growing interest in more concentrated formulas and economical, larger size packages. Price-sensitivity didn’t ease in 2025: demand for promotions and lower unit prices remained high.

A modern image

János Schreiner
sales director
Herbow International

In 2025 Herbow achieved faster than average market growth in the detergent category with both of its brands. Herbow sales were up more than 20%, while Souldrops grew by over 50%, supported by a major expansion in distribution, the strengthening of online sales channels and a spectacular increase in drugstore presence. The products are now available in almost all major sales channels, with near-national coverage.

“In 2026 we are going to extend the new, premium and modern image to our entire range. We will back the image switch with online and social campaigns, in-store POS and promotional tools and educational programmes”,

comments sales director János Schreiner.

In Hungary and abroad

Boglárka Bálint
owner-managing director
Love Planet Mosólap

Love Planet Laundry Sheets strengthened its position on the domestic detergent market in 2025. Love Planet Laundry Sheets have been developed and are made in Hungary. A significant step forward has been the appearance of Love Planet Laundry Sheets in the national chains of Bio-Barát, Rossmann and METRO, and from January 2026 they are also available in Tesco hypermarkets. It was a major innovation in product development that a fragrance- and preservative-free Love Planet Laundry Sheet hit the shops.

“Our objective is to keep building the laundry sheet category and expanding our retail coverage in 2026. International expansion will also be an important milestone, as we are entering the Romanian market this year”,

reports owner and managing director Boglárka Bálint.

Moderate growth – manufacturer brands have dominated the market

Guest writer:
Gabriella Csonka
analytic insights
associate
NIQ

The slower growth in value – compared to the previous period – was accompanied by a 6% hike in volume, with the category generating sales of more than HUF 69bn.

Discount stores continued to dominate the category, accounting for nearly 30% of value sales. Liquid and gel products were responsible for 68% of sales, with a 5% increase in turnover. Although their share fell by 2 percentage points, capsules remained in second place, now accounting for 18% of sales. Hungarian consumers mostly put liquid and gel detergents larger than 2 litres and up to 3 litres in their shopping carts – these realised more than one-third of value sales.