Make your store spring ready

As soon as winter's frost starts melting away, Brits start gearing up for the annual ritual of sprucing up their spaces. Spring cleaning isn't just about banishing dust bunnies; it's a time-honored tradition of rejuvenation and revival.

But what does this mean for the bustling aisles of cleaning products? Well, let's just say they're in for a spring awakening of their own! From trusty old wipes to the newest cleaning launch, every item in the cleaning arsenal gets its own chance to shine around this time.

As homes undergo their seasonal makeover, the sale of cleaning products experiences a surge too. As savvy shoppers are on the lookout for everything from multipurpose sprays to laundry detergents and softeners to various kinds of air fresheners, local retailers should make sure they are well-stocked with the basic line of products as well as new launches and eco-friendly products.

As households embark on their annual spring-cleaning rituals, consumers are motivated to refresh and revitalize their living spaces leading to higher sales of products such as all-purpose cleaners, disinfectants, and specialty cleaning tools. Around this time, shoppers are in mood to explore and experiment too, so this is an ideal time to introduce new concept products in the store.

Matt Stanton, Head of Insight at DCS Group, “Spring cleaning is engrained into our routines. Many people do it, and brands tend to ramp up their marketing and promotional activities to capture as many shoppers as possible.

“Household shoppers are looking for products that do the job properly, first time. Brand loyalty is higher than in many other grocery categories, and despite some shoppers trading down to cheaper products in response to the cost-of-living crisis, the leading brands still have a majority share in most categories."

Stanton recommends retailers to stock the leading household brands to maximise sales during this time.

Brand loyalty trumps in this aisle. During the last couple of years after being shaken up by Covid-19, consumers were looking for products with proven cleaning efficacy. While sanitisers flew off the shelves, people also doubled or trebled the usage of household cleaners and disinfectants. Brands also rode the wave with the launch of new products claiming to be more efficient, like long-lasting anti-microbial and antibacterial technology.

Value sales across both categories have fallen or reverted to normal following a significant peak during 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past six months, over half of UK household cleaner consumers have changed their behaviours in some way in order to save money. This shift highlights how price has become a more important consideration, and it is likely that this consumer caution will persist throughout the next year.

Most popular brands in this aisle are Zoflora, Dettol, Jeyes, Astonish, Fabulosa, Surf, Bloo, Duck, Harpic, Domestos, Ace, Cif, Method, Flash and Mr Muscle. Zoflora has risen to popularity, almost at par with Dettol. While Bloo provides a spark of inspiration in toilet cleaners, Domestos despite battling own-label bleach products is still a reliable name. Dettol and Flash increase market share across multipurpose, kitchen and floor. Flash signposts convenience and value in bathroom and shower cleaners.

Household cleaning aisle is vibrant and colorful with new launches and new concept products getting launched every other month. Advertisements have always been catalysts so was word of mouth. Lately, social media like Tik Tok is playing a huge role to play in here in making new cleaning products and ways a trend. Mrs Hinch is a cleaning influencer with over four million followers on Instagram. She often shares cleaning tips and tricks and has fans who do the same, sharing tips on fan page.

Cleaning and disinfecting

Surface cleaners and disinfectants enjoyed a good time during Covid lockdown. However, the cost-of-living crisis affected this aisle quite badly as this was the one section where shoppers looked for the cheapest available product, sometimes even letting go of an item or two and sticking to one product for multiple uses.

As more and more consumers reduce the number of products, multipurpose cleaners are on the rise with a good majority (63 per cent) of consumers using these, according to industry data analyst Mintel.

It also adds in its recent report that a reduced focus on hygiene over the last couple of years has caused a significant drop in sales of antibacterial multipurpose cleaners over the past few years, an overall 11.1 per cent decline in 2022.

Stanton from DCS Group describes how cleaning products play a vital role in impulse channel.

Household cleaning products account for £9.9m while specialist cleaning and disinfectant account for £11.1m. Bleach & Toilet accounts for £9.1m, he says.

“Seven out of 10 cleaning occasions are ‘quick clean’. Trigger sprays and wipes are the most convenient formats for a quick clean, so make sure you’re stocking the leading products,” he says.

According to a recent Statista report considering the 40 different brands, Dettol Anti-Bacterial Surface Cleanser leads the British ranking for the most frequently selected brand. Other top selling products are Flash All Purpose, Domestos, Cif Bathroom, Zoflora, Astonish, Cif Multi-Purpose Spray, Mr Muscle and Cillit Bang Limescale.

Apart from stocking top selling products, spring is the perfect time to keep some new launches. Like Domestos’ new Power Foam innovation with the launch of new Floral Burst and Limescale Remover Power Foam.

Bucket with chemical products on table over blurred bathroom background

Unveiled as the UK’s first upside down foaming spray, with the unique 360-degree spray trigger technology, Domestos Power Foam is a unique toilet and bathroom cleaner that kills germs in those hard-to-reach places without bleach. Since its launch, Domestos Power Foam is now used in over two million households across the UK and has demonstrated its ability to drive value through its superior performance and unique design, delivering over six million RSV since launch.

Building on this success, Unilever has recently expanded the range with Domestos Power Foam Toilet and Bathroom Floral Burst and Domestos Power Foam Toilet and Bathroom Limescale Remover.

Cif also recently expanded its multipurpose spray range with two new fragrances – Lavender & Blue Fern and Orange & Lemongrass. The new products tap into the growing shopper demand for multipurpose fragrance sprays as shoppers increasingly look for products which combine fragrance and efficacy.

Following Unilever’s Clean Future Strategy and the company’s commitment to plastic reduction, the bottles are made from 50 per cent post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic and are also 100 per cent recyclable. Cif’s mission is to make the household aisle more sustainable, and the brand is working towards making its products 100 per cent recyclable, reusable, or compostable and made from 100 per cent recycled plastic (PCR) by 2025.

“Cif has seen positive growth in the past six months and we are confident these new products will help drive growth of the household category,” said Claire Racklyeft, Home and Hygiene Category Lead at Unilever UK&I, at the time of the launch.

Indulgently fragranced cleaning brand Zoflorais also a popular name. Recently, it launched its first ever specialist carpet cleaning product, Zoflora Carpet Fresh & Care Foam- a unique product delivering odour elimination, fragrance, and cleaning.

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Zoflora tested the product with 450 consumers, where it was ranked as a market beater, receiving a score of 4 out of 5 stars. In addition, 94 per cent of home user testers rated Zoflora Carpet Fresh & Care Foam excellent and 80 per cent said they would buy the product in the future.

Another name making waves in this aisle is Ineos Hygienics' three new additions into 16 high performance, plant-powered household cleaning products.

Developed with proprietary technology, the products across multi-room surface spray, eco-wipes as well as dish washing liquid and laundry liquid include ‘active fragrances’, which are designed to help improve wellbeing and promote better sleep. The surface spray and wipes are made with plant-based cleansers and claims to kill 99.9 per cent of bacteria, while the non-bio concentrated laundry liquid is also made with plant-based cleansers and removes stains without using animal enzymes.

It is important to note here that consumers are getting more and more conscious about enviromental impact of their purchases as well as the harmful effects of the chemical present in cleaning products.

"82 per cent of new toilet care product launches featured environmentally friendly packaging claims in 2022, up from 66 per cent in 2021,” Stanton from DCS Group tells Asian Trader, adding that convenience is also important for consumers and thus a driving force.

Kitchen and laundry

While laundry and kitchen cleaning supplies are in demand throughout the year, springtime is when more activity is seen in this aisle too. It is always best to keep this section fresh and exciting with the right mix of bestselling and new lines of products.

Brits’ top favourite laundry detergents are Fairy Non Bio Washing Liquid Gel, Fairy Non Bio All-in-1 Pods Washing Liquid Capsules, Bold 2 in 1 Spring Awakening Washing Liquid Gel, Persil Bio Laundry Washing Liquid Detergent ,Persil 3-in-1 Capsules, Surf, Ariel, Ecover Non-Bio Washing Powder, Daz Regular Washing Powder.

Dr. Beckman’s Magic Leaves Laundry Detergent Sheets originally launched in summer 2022 as an alternative to liquids, powders, and tabs. The product soon became a new, smarter, eco-friendly way to wash clothes, with the sheets specifically designed to fully dissolve in 60 seconds in temperatures as low as 20 °C – resulting in no left-over sticky residue commonly found with tabs.

Due to the sheet form, they are light and compact making them easy to store. Using 80 per cent less packaging than bottled detergents, they’re vegan and biodegradable, as well as a Carbon Neutral product – so perfect for those eco-conscious shoppers.

Talking about eco-friendly products, Delphis Eco has launched its first highly effective, non-bio, laundry ‘power’ powder product into the home domestic market.

Available in a 1.2kg recyclable tin, the washing powder is specially formulated for incredible results, even at the very lowest temperatures. Its powerful cleaning action is said to be tough on heavy stains, yet gentle on fabric, ensuring household laundry emerges crisp and bright with a deliciously fresh aroma.

Other essential items to stock in this section are Marigold Scrub Away Heavy-Duty Scourer. Apart from scourers, cleaning cloths by Marigold are also popular among shoppers.

Marigold Let It Shine! Microfibre Cloths are perfect for providing a chemical-free clean, for jobs all around the home. Marigold also offers a whole range of gloves- Marigold Extra Life Kitchen gloves, Marigold Longer Bathroom Gloves and latex-free Marigold Gloves for Sensitive Skin-as all the long hours spent scrubbing and cleaning tend to have a harmful impact on skin.Marigold also offers consumers the ability to recycle their old Marigold gloves (and the plastic packaging) through TerraCycle.

In the dishwashing section, Fairy is name to depend upon. Bio-D, Ecover and Smol are also some of the products that customers look out for.

Retailers should remain open to the idea of keeping new products too.

B Corporation certified green cleaning company Bio-D has launched a new range of environmentally friendly Dishwasher Tablets as it continues to increase its offering of zero waste products.

The Dishwasher Tablets, which have 100 percent recyclable cardboard packaging, are just 12g in size. This results in carbon emission savings in both production and transport compared to traditional 20g alternatives, which use filler products to bulk out tablets – a waste of valuable raw materials.

The smaller size also saves shelf space in store, as well as packaging required for sending out online orders.

Wipes and fragrance

Wipes and rolls are other must-stock items. These are just the kind of products that customers often come looking for in their nearest local stores.

Sustainable personal care, baby, and beauty brand The Cheeky Panda has re-launched its popular dry wipes in a box instead of a roll which is a more convenient format. Best part is they can be used with or without water to clean even the most delicate skin.

“Our silky-smooth Dry Wipes are made with 100 per cent FSC-certified bamboo, they can be used wet or dry, and are perfect for all skin types, not just for babies,” said Director of Retail Dave Southgate at the time of the re-launch. “They are plastic – and chemical-free, and they are minimally packaged to reduce waste.”

Another eco-friendly product to check out is Sybron, a leading UK supplier of cleaning, hygiene and catering products to some of the largest names in hospitality. It has launched SySoft Luxury Bamboo Toilet Tissue. Partnering with eco-friendly and bamboo specialist, UniGreen, Sybron has created this sustainable product with exceptional environmental properties, in response to growing customer demand.

SySoft Luxury Bamboo Toilet Tissue will appeal to Sybron’s environmentally committed customers as it is made from 100 per cent bamboo and the packaging is plastic-free.

Accrol’s Elegnace toilet tissue has also become a popular product. Elegance toilet tissue is available from many major wholesalers including Dhamecha, United Wholesale Grocers Ltd, Lioncroft Wholesale Limited, United Wholesale (Scotland) Limited, Thames Cash and Carry, Holland Bazaar and more.

Who does not like the nice smell in the house?

Air Wick, Febreze, Glade, and Yankee Candle are some of the top air fresheners for the home in 2023.

Customers are in love with Febreze Fade Defy Dual Scented Oil Warmer, Febreze Air Freshener Spray, Glade Plug-Ins Plus Air Freshener Warmer, Fresh Wave Odor Removing Gel, Caldrea Linen and Room Spray Air Freshener, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Scented Soy Aromatherapy Candle and AIRBOSS Closet Dehumidifier.

Brands are seen focusing on the mental benefits too that the whole cleaning process can provide, not just the outcome. And fragrance ranks supreme in that aspect.

Interestingly, Fabulosa is another Tik Tok favourite brand that leaves a long-lasting sweet fragrance that said to smell exactly like the popular line of Britney Spears’ Fantasy- a top selling perfume in the UK since 2004.

Secret of Sparkling Sales

Brits are looking to cut down bills and 2024 is likely to be the same. Introducing price promotions and combo-offers can push the customers to come over the price hurdle and make the purchase.

According to Stanton, most (80 per cent) of convenience shoppers say they are very value-led, so passing on price promotions to shoppers is important for building shopper loyalty and repeat business

“Household products over-index with top-up shoppers, who have higher basket spend and purchase across multiple categories, so getting the range right can help attract valuable shoppers who buy multiple items in store.

Retailers can protect their margins whilst offering good value to shoppers by stocking price-marked packs (PMPs).

“58 per cent of shoppers think the price mark is usually there because there is a promotion or discount while 63 per cent say they think PMPs mean ‘I am not being over-charged'. Not all consumers understand that the cost-to-serve model means convenience stores generally need to be slightly more expensive than supermarkets, so a good range or PMPs is important to give shoppers price confidence,” Stanton tells Asian Trader.

Sharing further stats, he added that 65 per cent of consumers say they like price marked packs, 48 per cent say they tend to shop in places with lots of PMPs while 43 per cent of shoppers say they are more likely to shop in a Convenience store that sells price-marked packs.

71 per cent of retailers say that with PMPS, shoppers do not blame the retailer for the price and 78 per cent of retailers think PMPs demonstrate good value for money to shoppers, he added.

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Many retailers capitalize on the spring-cleaning frenzy by offering special promotions and discounts on cleaning products. This encourages consumers to stock up on essentials and perhaps even try out new products they wouldn't normally purchase.

Retailers often strategically cross-promote cleaning products with other seasonal items, such as storage solutions, home organization products, and even home decor. This creates a one-stop shopping experience for consumers and further boosts sales of cleaning products.

Consider placing the best-selling or high-margin items at eye level to attract attention and encourage purchases. Reserve lower shelves for bulk or oversized items and use the top shelf for less frequentlypurchased products.

Use color coordination or themed displays to create visual appeal. Brand-block where possible, especially if the brand has stand-out packaging colour like MrMuscle.

Use signage with bold fonts and graphics to highlight promotions, discounts, or new arrivals. Clear pricing information helps customers make informed decisions quickly.

Store owners can also tantalise shoppers’ senses by keeping this aisle smelling fresh and pleasant. A display of a mix of new and popular products at the centre of the store during spring cleaning time not only will remind shoppers of what they are missing in their cleaning cabinets but also motivate them to try new products.

Let it shine

The household cleaning market is being doubly impacted by the continued return to pre-pandemic cleaning routines and the additional focus on saving money because of rising inflation.

This is creating a difficult environment for brands to grow, and this is likely to continue over the next five years. However, there are opportunities for retailers to target factors that can add value to consumer lifestyles like fragrance and convenience.

Consumers feeling the financial pinch are increasingly turning towards multipurpose cleaning products. They are increasingly embracing the own labels as they come with a promise of cheaper prices.

As space in convenience stores is often extremely limited, Stanton from DCS Group recommends covering as many shopper need states as possible before doubling up on product options. In this way, they can maximise the number of happy shoppers and grow shopper loyalty, as long as they stock the top-selling SKU for each need state, he says, adding that once all the key shopper needs are covered, retailers can expand the range into more brands and product variants, to maximise conversion and drive trade-up.

Lastly, products with longer-lasting cleaning actions have the potential to appeal to a wide range of consumers as they make the cleaning process less laborious and time-consuming.

As Mintel research shows, almost half of UK adults with responsibilities for cleaning the home and/or maintaining outdoor areas agree that keeping the home clean can be stressful, while most parents with cleaning responsibilities in their home feel like cleaning is a never-ending task.

Overall, customers are looking for quick, effective, cheap solutions. And if they come with promises of anti-bacterial and fragrant effects, it is even better. Springtime gives an extra window for explorations and experimentation so stock wisely.