Home Insecticides in the United Kingdom

PROSPECTS

Slower growth after a strong performance in 2018

In 2019, the mild summer led to lower demand for insecticides. In 2018, the UK experienced a relatively wet spring, followed by an extremely hot and long summer, which provided ideal conditions for insect populations to increase significantly.

Spray insecticides remains the leading home insecticide, due mainly to ease of use

Spray/aerosol insecticides continued to see the strongest retail current value growth in 2019, and remained the most popular home insecticide amongst consumers in the UK. This popularity can be attributed to the ease of use of such products, as well as their ability to kill or repel different types of insects, including wasps and cockroaches.

Ingredient regulations and consumer awareness shape product formulations

Home insecticides, along with pesticides, have been blamed for the disappearance of various insect species from the UK countryside, with the EU ban on bee-harming neonicotinoids in pesticides expected to be followed by further regulation against the use of harsh chemical ingredients in insecticides. Tighter ingredient requirements, combined with increased consumer awareness of the health and environmental issues associated with the use of harmful chemicals, have compelled manufacturers to undertake costly research in order to develop new safer ingredients and biological products.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

SC Johnson’s Raid leads home insecticides due to strong distribution

Home insecticides was a consolidated category in 2019, and the competitive landscape remained largely unchanged. Raid from SC Johnson remained the dominant brand, followed at a distance by Rentokil from Rentokil Initial and Vitax’s Nippon.

Private label maintains a moderate presence; consumers prefer the leading brands

Private label maintained a reasonable single-digit share within home insecticides in value terms in 2019. Nevertheless, the private label share declined once again in 2019, as consumers rely on the efficacy of big brands such as Raid, which are available in a wide range of distribution channels, from supermarkets to convenience stores, at affordable prices.

Changes in regulation and demand will lead to formula adaptation

Leading home insecticides manufacturers such as SC Johnson and Rentokil Initial are better suited to cope with any future regulatory issues and development costs, due to their financial strength and regulatory experience. Therefore, these companies are expected to continue dominating home insecticides over the coming years.

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