Dishwashing in Italy

PROSPECTS

Automatic dishwashing drives growth, in line with increasing penetration of dishwashers in Italy

Demand for automatic dishwashing, specifically liquid and tablet formats, continued to increase in Italy in 2019, in line with the increasing penetration of dishwashers in the country, as busy urban consumers looked to more convenient solutions to cleaning dishes compared to hand dishwashing. Unwrapped automatic dishwashing tablets in particular, are gaining momentum as the favoured format, with powder and liquid/gel, and gel packs gaining in value share over compressed powder.

Despite declining demand, hand dishwashing will remain largest volume category over forecast period

Hand dishwashing remained the largest category in retail volume terms in dishwashing in 2019 in Italy, despite declining demand, which influenced the overall weak performance of the entire category, as busy consumers increasingly invested in dishwashers to reduce their household chores. However, hand dishwashing will remain the largest volume category over the forecast period, as many Italians will continue to wash dishes by hand in addition to using their dishwashers, particularly for heavily soiled pans or tableware.

Growing interest in environmental issues but offer of ecological products remains limited

A growing culture of environmental sustainability amongst Italians is fostering a decline in the use of disposable tableware. Therefore, Italians are now more willing to use tableware made from ceramics, glass or other materials that require washing after usage, supporting demand for dishwashing detergents.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Consolidated competitive landscape led by Reckitt Benckiser due to strong presence within automatic dishwashing

Dishwashing remained a fairly consolidated competitive landscape in 2019, led by global players Reckitt Benckiser, Henkel and Unilever, due to their strength in the higher value category of automatic dishwashing. Despite some loss of value share in 2019, most notably to Henkel within automatic dishwashing tablets, a category which is becoming increasingly competitive, including an expansive range offered by private label, with the likes of Coop and Conad gaining further value share, Reckitt Benckiser retains a convincing lead in many of the categories with its well-established brand Finish, including dishwashing additives, with only a limited presence in hand dishwashing.

Henkel strongly placed across both automatic and hand dishwashing

Second-ranked Henkel continued to slowly gain ground on the leader, offering several dishwashing brands with Nelsen in hand dishwashing and the dynamic Pril, which gained further value share within automatic dishwashing tablets, and Pril Perfect Gel, which gained share within automatic dishwashing liquids. In October 2018, Nelsen launched a promotional campaign for applicants to test its latest fragrance, Nelsen Sensitive Karité Butter and Argan Oil, offering consumers greater specific value as skin sensitivity is a priority amongst those Italians who wash their dishes by hand.

Unilever strengthens leadership of hand dishwashing

While third-ranked Unilever holds a lower presence within the dynamic categories of automatic dishwashing liquids and tablets, it is well-known for its hand dishwashing brand Svelto, where it strengthened its leadership in 2019. The brand has therefore focused on streamlining its offer to three different formats, with its traditional liquids gel within hand dishwashing, automatic dishwashing tablets, and Svelto Ecoricarica, which is a liquid gel packaged in a plastic pouch with a screw top closure, and a refill product that allows consumers to reduce their impact on the environment through packaging, as it contains 70% less plastic than standard bottles.

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