The Household Wipes Market
Google news
2017-11-23 17:01:46
Household wipes offer consumers hygienic, all-in-one and timesaving solutions for every corner of the home, from kitchens and bathrooms, to hard floors, appliances, and more. Despite its success in Western markets—North America and Western Europe maintain the most in sales in the world—the global home care wipes and floor cleaning systems category has leveled off at $3 billion in retail value during the last several years, according to statistics from Euromonitor International. The category is only expected to grow at a 1% compounded annual growth rate through the year 2020. Meanwhile, its counterpart personal care wipes, which includes baby, cosmetic and intimate wipes, has topped $8 billion globally in recent years.
Euromonitor’s Angéline Le Ménach, analyst for Home Industries, says there is a clear correlation between home care wipes sales and the economy.
“When we’re looking at all-purpose cleaning wipes, we see that wipes are highly connected to how the economy is doing,” she says. “We are going to see sales increasing when the economy gets better. There is this thing about consumers that maybe when their disposable income is decreasing, using something only once and throwing it away seems wasteful. In contrast, when the economy is getting better, we see sales increasing, so we think it’s quite connected. We notice the higher the disposable income is, the more likely consumers are to buy wipes.”
The move away from wipes d uring a slower economic period could be an indication that consumers are switching back to traditional cleaning products such as a spray bottle and cloth, which consumers see as being more cost-effective.
According to Euromonitor, all-purpose impregnated wipes are the most important category within household wipes, growing 6% in 2015 compared to the year prior, beating out wipes for specific tasks such as toilet care wipes. “Regarding all-purpose wipes, we think it’s about convenience; not buying wipes for a specific part of the home, whether it’s the bathroom or the kitchen,” Le Ménach says. “Anti-bacterial wipes are doing very well because they can be used anywhere in the home.”
Wipes industry consultant Susan Stansbury also sees consumers’ attraction to these types of wipes. “Antimicrobial effective household wipes still compel consumers’ attention, often driven by news headlines about various ‘outbreaks,’” she says.
Other trends Stansbury is seeing in the category center around more claims for effectiveness and ever-evolving packaging. “Packaging changes include improved ease-of-opening, aesthetic and product-protective features that assure freshness and shelf life,” she says.
Euromonitor’s Angéline Le Ménach, analyst for Home Industries, says there is a clear correlation between home care wipes sales and the economy.
“When we’re looking at all-purpose cleaning wipes, we see that wipes are highly connected to how the economy is doing,” she says. “We are going to see sales increasing when the economy gets better. There is this thing about consumers that maybe when their disposable income is decreasing, using something only once and throwing it away seems wasteful. In contrast, when the economy is getting better, we see sales increasing, so we think it’s quite connected. We notice the higher the disposable income is, the more likely consumers are to buy wipes.”
The move away from wipes d uring a slower economic period could be an indication that consumers are switching back to traditional cleaning products such as a spray bottle and cloth, which consumers see as being more cost-effective.
According to Euromonitor, all-purpose impregnated wipes are the most important category within household wipes, growing 6% in 2015 compared to the year prior, beating out wipes for specific tasks such as toilet care wipes. “Regarding all-purpose wipes, we think it’s about convenience; not buying wipes for a specific part of the home, whether it’s the bathroom or the kitchen,” Le Ménach says. “Anti-bacterial wipes are doing very well because they can be used anywhere in the home.”
Wipes industry consultant Susan Stansbury also sees consumers’ attraction to these types of wipes. “Antimicrobial effective household wipes still compel consumers’ attention, often driven by news headlines about various ‘outbreaks,’” she says.
Other trends Stansbury is seeing in the category center around more claims for effectiveness and ever-evolving packaging. “Packaging changes include improved ease-of-opening, aesthetic and product-protective features that assure freshness and shelf life,” she says.