Magazine: The picture is getting clearer

Viktória Müller
brand manager
Unilever Magyarország

Viktória Müller, Unilever Magyarország Kft.’s brand manager told our magazine that demand increased for cleaning products with a disinfecting function. “Branded products have improved their performance, as shoppers trust these more. When choosing which cleaning products to buy, the main factors considered are efficacy, speed and simplicity” – revealed Ms Müller.

Eszter Guba
brand manager
Henkel Magyarország

Eszter Guba, Henkel Magyarország Kft.’s brand manager: “Between January and December 2021 the window cleaner category expanded by 4.3%, which mainly resulted from the 3% rise in value sales. In volume sales there was no considerable change. Henkel’s window cleaner sales increased in value and the Clin brand remained the market leader.”

Stronger online sales

Zsófia Szinetár
brand marketing
manager
Reckitt Benckiser

SZsófia Szinetár, Reckitt Benckiser Kft.’s brand marketing manager: “In 2021 sales dropped 5% in the cleaning product category, but our Cillit and Cillit Bang products were able to increase their market share. The driving force behind Cillit Bang’s superb performance was the bathroom cleaner segment, where sales soared by 18%.”

Szilvia Madari
managing director
Flyfit

Szivia Madari, Flyfit Kft.’s managing director: “Both Winnis floor cleaner concentrate and Winnis parquet/wooden surface cleaner concentrate are very popular among consumers. Even more so, because they are made of plant-based ingredients and they are ‘eco’ products. The market is definitely going in the direction of online sales.”

Litkei Alexandra
marketing assistant
Freudenberg Háztartási
Cikkek

Alexandra Litkei, marketing assistant of Freudenberg Háztartási Cikkek Bt. – Vileda agrees that hygiene and cleanliness became more important in the lives of everyone due to the pandemic. “Our online sales also increased during the pandemic. People like shopping online much better, because there are no crowds and they are less likely to catch the virus” – explained Ms Litkei.

Spring and autumn are good periods

Zsófia Szinetár informed that in 2021 demand kept rising for descaler sprays – especially for those used in the bathroom. She senses decreasing interest in antibacterial products, which used to be so popular during the pandemic. Alexandra Litkei spoke to us about one of Vileda’s latest innovations, 1-2 Spray Max: this is a microfibre mop with an integrated spray, which is really practical as there is no need for a bucket. The most important cleaning periods are spring and autumn, when demand for cleaning products and equipment increases. Szilvia Madari added that Hungarian consumers like strong scents, and the company’s eco products also have fragrances in them.

In contrast to previous years, increased importance is attributed to trust towards detergent brands

Greener formulas

Viktória Ficsor
brand manager
Unilever Magyarország

Viktória Ficsor, Unilever Magyarország Kft.’s brand manager reckons that shoppers still like reliable disinfecting cleaners, and they have also returned to those offering solutions to special problems, e.g. removing grease, descaling. “Eco and green products are more and more popular. Refill formats are also gaining ground” – the brand manager added.

Eszter Guba also told that shoppers show growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable products. Last year this was especially true in the dishwasher and window cleaner categories. Among retail channels drugstores and hypermarkets were the main places for buying eco cleaners. Henkel’s Clin window cleaner is available in a ProNature variant too, in order to offer consumers a green choice in the segment.

Cleaning quickly and efficiently

Unilever Magyarország Kft.’s Domestos Extended Power disinfectants are traditionally very popular in Hungarian households. Domestos disinfectant wipes and limited edition Power5 rim blocks are performing better year after year. The Szavo brand name always comes up when the topic is mould removal. Spray products constitute a growing category and this is also true for the Flóraszept and Cif portfolios, where bathroom products are the category leaders. In 2022 the majority of the Cif portfolio will be updated.

In Henkel Magyarország Kft.’s portfolio each product features the so-called 3in1 technology, which guarantees lasting, streak-free brightness, and protection against water stains and dirt, plus it repairs the micro-scratches on the glass. Clin Lemon has refreshing lemon scent and Clin ProNature products have the EU Ecolabel.

Demand for products with the promise of desinfecting effect has grown since the outbreak of the pandemic

Reckitt Benckiser Kft.’s most popular product is the 750ml Cillit Bang Bathroom Descaler Spray. Since May 2020 the company has been present in the Hungarian market with eco-friendly Cillit Bang Naturally Powerful cleaning products. From 2022 the packaging of these is 75% recycled plastic.

Freudenberg Háztartási Cikkek Bt. – Vileda’s most successful product is the Vileda Turbo mop and bucket set with a foot pedal operated wringer – this is really efficient, very comfortable to use and requires no chemicals. Vileda’s Steam and Steam XXL devices eliminate 99% of bacteria with the power of steam, in an eco-friendly way.

Flyfit Kft.: one of the company’s most popular products is the Winnis parquet floor clean and care product, but large-size washing-up liquids and floor care products also sell very well. //