Bleach in Spain

PROSPECTS

Older generations drive usage and popularity of bleach in Spain

Bleach continued to record low but positive retail volume growth in 2019. Its popularity is traditionally driven by older generations of Spaniards who use it to sanitise and disinfect different areas of the home.

Growing concerns amongst younger Spaniards regarding the use of harsh chemicals leads to gradual move towards alternative options

Spanish consumers, especially the younger generations, are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers related to using certain chemicals when cleaning their homes. Domestic incidents through using bleach and other powerful liquids such as ammonia have been widely reported in the local press, leading to increasing awareness of the hazards linked to their usage.

Bleach will continue to offer efficient disinfecting solutions for general population

Bleach tends to be mainly used in Spain for its disinfecting properties, which is particularly pertinent due to the prevalence of bacteria due to the country’s mild climate conditions. Spaniards have traditionally used bleach to disinfect their entire homes including bathrooms, particularly the toilet area in addition to using it to effectively whiten laundry.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Private label continues to gain share as brands lose interest in low margin category

Bleach remained a fairly consolidated and undynamic competitive landscape in terms of share gain and positioning, led by Neutrex from Henkel in brand terms, while Mercadona led the strong presence of private label in the category, due to the basic nature of the category and its low price. Carrefour and Eroski remained other notable private label lines in 2019.

Henkel invests in new convenient tablet format for several brands

With several brands of bleach already present in Spain with Neutrex and Conejo, Henkel continued to invest in the category by launching a new product that is exclusive to Spain, given the ongoing demand for this product compared to many other Western European countries. Estrella (“Star”) bleach has been launched in an innovative concentrated powder pod format, helping to avoid spillages whilst also being easier and more convenient to store.

Change in production location and capacity for Henkel’s bleach manufacturer

La Antigua Lavandera, which is a local manufacturer of bleach for Henkel, which owns a number of brands in the category, has announced that it intends to close its production plant in Catalonia due to the low margins obtained from bleach sales. The player also produces a wide range of laundry detergents, multi-purpose sprays and bathroom cleaners.

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