Laundry Care in Pakistan

PROSPECTS

Consumer interest in more sophisticated laundry care products set to rise

Laundry care in Pakistan is expected to continue expanding at a healthy pace during the forecast period, with overall retail volume and current value growth rates projected to be only slightly slower than those recorded over 2013-2018. Aside from population growth, the further development of the category will be supported by improvements in consumer spending power and rising ownership of washing machines, especially in middle-income households.

Rising ownership of washing machines drives demand for powder detergents

Standard powder detergents recorded the fastest growth in retail volume and current value sales of any laundry care category in 2018, and looks set to remain the most dynamic performer in both respects over the forecast period. The category will continue to benefit as the expansion of Pakistan’s middle class supports further growth in the household possession rate for automatic washing machines.

Fabric softeners continue to gain popularity in urban areas

Following on from its positive performance in 2018, it is expected that fabric softeners will post robust growth in retail volume and current value sales over the forecast period. While this is partly because demand is still emerging from a relatively low base, the category will also benefit as leading manufacturers Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive continue to invest in TV advertising campaigns and the expansion of their distribution networks.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Unilever remains the overall leader in laundry care

Unilever continued to lead laundry care in value terms in 2018. This was mainly due to the success of its standard powder detergents brand Surf Excel, though the company was also present in other detergents with the more competitively priced Sunlight and Rin ranges.

Colgate-Palmolive continues to benefit from strong brand loyalty

Colgate-Palmolive ranked second overall in laundry care in 2018 thanks to the combined strength of its laundry detergents brands Bonus, Brite and Express and its fabric softeners brand Softlan. Bonus, the most successful of these brands, has a competitive price positioning and remains a popular choice among lower-income consumers, particularly those who favour bar detergents.

Local players struggle to gain ground

International companies continued to dominate laundry care in Pakistan in 2018. This dominance is built on strong early mover advantages in key categories, wide distribution networks and aggressive promotional support for their brands.

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