British Homecare Brand Footprint
Brand Footprint ranking of the most chosen homecare brands.
Brand Footprint
The British ranking of the most chosen homecare brands
Homecare
Setting the scene and introducing the top 20 brands of 2019.
Homecare is a challenging sector for brands to operate in, as own label is particularly strong, growing faster than brands for the last three consecutive years. Sales for the homecare sector grew £126 million in 2019, however only 20% of that was from brands. This growth is driven by kitchen roll and toilet paper where own brand products have increased in value by more than 10%. The growth of own label of course goes hand in hand with the rise of the discounters, especially Aldi and Lidl.
Brands need not despair however, as consumers prove time and again that they will pay more for products when there is a clear benefit.
This Brand Footprint report is being published at a time of huge behavioural and economic change due to COVID-19. At the time of writing this situation is ongoing and the long-term outlook is unclear.
Read more
This year’s Brand Footprint ranking is full of innovation from brands, whether that is to improve the efficacy of their product, environmental credentials or both.
The growth in popularity of Mrs Hinch has not abated since last year and the interest in cleaning that she has promoted has become even stronger. Her ability to glamourise cleaning via social media has raised interest in the sector to a younger demographic.
Changing channels
Britain’s retail landscape has shifted in the past decade, and brands seeking growth must be physically and mentally available where the shoppers are.
One of the classic routes to growth for brands is quite simply to be available to buy in more places, pulling the growth lever of more presence. The expansion of both grocery discounters and bargain stores provided a perfect opportunity for brands to expand their reach.
Flash, the eighth most chosen homecare brand last year achieved listings in Lidl. They launched the Flash mop in two different varieties, the speed mop and the power mop, with such popularity that there was frequently a waiting list on Amazon because it sold out so fast. Once the main mop is purchased, the cloth and liquid refills are also available, thereby locking the buyer into the brand.
Harpic’s 10% CRP growth was due to both more shoppers and being chosen more frequently, with availability in stores such as Home Bargains and B&M. They launched a lavender version of the Active Fresh toilet block and the premium Power Plus product has also been successful.
Cushelle in position 19, has grown in the last year by 14% and now accounts for 25% of the toilet tissue sales in Lidl. Cushelle Quilted has grown 29%, while Cushelle Original drove volume by focusing on bigger packs: the range has gained 171,000 shoppers in the last year due to this tactic. To capitalise on the brand’s success, Cushelle launched a facial tissue product at the start of 2019.
Embracing responsibility
Made of chemicals and packaged in plastic, homecare brands have worked hard make sure growing environmental concerns are addressed.
While sustainability, reduction of carbon emissions and plastic use are buzz words across most industries now, it is perhaps in homecare that manufacturers have made the biggest strides forward so far. For many consumers, although they are aware of and care about environmental credentials, this is something that they expect retailers, brands and manufacturers to present the solution to. Sustainable products can’t coast by on this one promise alone though, they need to be at least as good as the alternatives already available and on offer at a good price.
The good news for those brands prepared to make the investment is that, for the moment at least, environmental products don’t face as much competition from own label. Tesco is perhaps an exception here with their Eco-Active range, which has been very successful and pledges to be available for 50% less than the branded version.
Looking to the brands that are positioned primarily on their environmental credentials, Ecover and Method have performed well. Currently outside the Top 20, but making fast gains, Ecover grew by 10% in the last year and sister brand Method by 6%, both were recently acquired by SC Johnson. During this time Ecover, which is successful with hand wash, auto dishwash and detergents, relaunched their Zero laundry range. Method now offers a wide range of products including detergents, fabric conditioners and liquid soap. Both brands are trading on their product efficacy as well as their environmental credentials and are benefiting from distribution gains and being positioned within their categories in-store rather than in a special eco-friendly fixture. This fact alone speaks volumes about how far this part of the market has now come.
But sustainability is now very firmly in the mainstream for the homecare sector with many big names developing new versions in the last year. Unilever, not surprisingly, is at the forefront of this and launched Cif ecorefill Power & Shine last year. The brand, in position 21, now offers both a bathroom and kitchen version of the refill which can be used with the existing spray bottle and water. The product uses 75% less plastic than the standard packaging and aims to remove 1.5 million plastic bottles from the world.
Persil, in position 11, changed their packing to be eco-friendly and developed a new formula to help stop clothes from bobbling. Unilever also launched recycled packaging for Comfort Intense and Perfume Deluxe.
Premium performance
Innovation on its own isn’t enough, shoppers have to be genuinely convinced it is worth paying more.
The great dichotomy in the homecare sector is between the drive for low prices and the requirement for high performance. Where they cannot perceive a difference, shoppers will happily buy the cheaper own label, so the key for brands that want to grow is to offer a point of difference and better performance which justifies the price differential. Every year we see homecare manufacturers doing this and finding new ways to breathe life into existing formats.
The level of innovation in this sector is demonstrated by the fact that it is a homecare brand that was in the top position in Kantar’s 2019 FMCG innovation ranking. Finish, in position 22, launched the Powerball Quantum in February 2019 and achieved £20 million in sales in its first 12 months, the only brand to do this. The new product sells at a 40% premium and is marketed as powerful enough to remove ground-in dirt. The brand also speaks to environmental concerns, packaged in a fully recyclable tub and promising results even on the eco cycle.
Trends often move across sectors in FMCG, and so last year saw the launch of Surf Coconut Bliss, providing an ingredient that has already been popular across food, drink and beauty products. Achieving position 16 this year, the brand launched both liquid detergent and capsule versions with the wonder fragrance. Lenor, in position 6, also focused on fragrances and launched Scent Booster in wash beads.
Febreeze achieved an impressive 47% CRP increase, a significant amount of which was due
to the purchase and rebranding of Ami-Pur into its portfolio. In October 2019, they brought freshness to a new room in the house, with Bathroom Scents. Designed with unique technology to eliminate odours, the brand has already attracted listings in Asda and Home Bargains. The impact of this launch won’t be captured in this year’s Brand Footprint so it will be one to watch for next year.
Toilet care is one area where branded products are outperforming own label, up by 4% in the last year. There are several strong brands in this year’s sector ranking including Duck with an 8% increase and Bloo which grew CRPs by 11%. Bloo, in position 23, launched Fragrance Switch, which changes fragrance when the toilet is flushed, last year. Power Active has also been a very big driver of growth and the Pro Nature version offers a more environmentally friendly option.
The fourth most chosen homecare brand, Domestos continues to grow from previous innovations and is the number one brand in rim blocks despite only having one key product range in the market.
Small and mighty
Influencers, digital marketing and new places to get listed all offer genuine opportunities for smaller brands to grow.
Would anyone have expected five years ago that there would be such a thing as a ‘cleanfluencer’ and #cleaning would be one of the highest trending tags online?
Maybe not but that is the way of the world now, and in 2020 with the impact of coronavirus leaving all products containing the words “germ-killing” temporarily out of stock on supermarket shelves, it does not appear to be something that is going away anytime soon. Mrs Hinch has well and truly brought the nation’s love of cleaning out of the closet. And there is no underestimating the influencer, who in just a couple of short years, has gone from being unknown to over three million followers on Instagram, having a deal with P&G and the ability to sell out products within minutes of posting about them.
Mrs Hinch however is not one to be seduced by a big name, she uses a wide range of products some of which are at the cheaper end of the spectrum. Her favourite hunting grounds are the bargain stores and this has helped bring to light several smaller brands that are now gaining shoppers very rapidly as a result.
Zoflora is perhaps the biggest benefactor of the Hinch effect, and this year the brand has grown CRPs by 32% in the last year to shoot up the rankings to position 27. The top 20 is strongly beckoning and we anticipate that break through won’t take long (see brand focus).
Each year with Brand Footprint we are keen to show innovation and developments to celebrate new ways to meet consumer needs. Zoflora, a British brand produced in Huddersfield is not a new product. It has in fact been around for nearly a century.
Zoflora is a concentrated disinfectant and claims to kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. It is available in a range of fragrances, over 20 at the start of 2020, and is adept at bringing out new scents through the seasons. Although all the variants have helped brand growth, it is the performance of Bouquet, Citrus Fresh and Mountain Air that stands out.
The trajectory over the last few years has been nothing short of staggering, growing around 50%, since Mrs Hinch began her spontaneous endorsement of the brand. Arguably in the current environment, with even stronger focus on cleaning with the coronavirus, Zoflora speaks to people’s needs with a resonance that its founders could never have contemplated.
Another Hinch favourite enjoying incredible growth is Astonish in position 28 with 37% growth. The brand offers cruelty free and vegan credentials typically at competitive price points. Physical distribution extends to both B&M and Home Bargains.
The Pink Stuff, made by the Stardrops company, is another smaller brand touted by Mrs Hinch. Although currently much lower down the ranking, the brand - which is traditionally distributed in the discount stores - has now secured a listing in Sainsbury’s so its performance over the next year will be interesting to watch.
This year’s homecare sector ranking has proven once again how hard manufacturers are working to make their brands both more relevant and effective in consumers' lives. There is no doubt that the focus on cleaning that the coronavirus has brought will have an impact on next year’s ranking. If brands talk effectively to shoppers' concerns at a time when they have their full attention, it may well bring about long-term behaviour changes that could help grow the sector for many years to come.
Hear more from Julia Fine about homecare brands operating in a world of heightened environmental awareness.
Levers for Growth in action
The 2020 Brand Footprint ranking has examples of brands responding to trends and using all of the levers for growth to find new ways to grow. Here are a few of the notable examples.
Surf - launched digital mess campaign with Dani Dyer
Astonish – gained additional listings from the Mrs Hinch effect
Flash - launched the Flash Mop
Cheeky Panda – moved from toilet paper into wipes
Nicky - developed paper packaging to appeal to environmentally motivated consumers
Persil – created triple action capsules for those looking for convenience
Cushelle - launched a washable facial tissue
Plenty Hand Towels – used a campaign promoting its many uses around the house
Cif Power & Shine - launched the EcoRefill
Fairy - released Platinum Plus to clean the dishwasher and specifically address tea stains
Disruptors
Challenges and opportunities coming into view.
Carbon footprint of products
This might be a bigger issue than plastics
Cutting down on waste and chemicals
Refills and natural ingredients
New focus on cleanliness
Changed hygiene needs post COVID-19
Further reading
The British Brand Footprint series also includes:
Kantar’s study of 65,000 people across 24 countries about the use of plastic by FMCG companies.
Further reading
The British Brand Footprint series also includes:
Kantar’s study of 65,000 people across 24 countries about the use of plastic by FMCG companies.
