Laundry Care in Spain

2020 IMPACT

Laundry care producers quick to react to consumer need to sanitise clothes

Following the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in Spain, consumers paid special attention to disinfection when washing clothes, both during the national lockdown and after restrictions were eased. To cater to this, specific products and additives were developed quickly and reached the market by May.

Consumers are switching to concentrated liquid detergents

Over the review period, laundry care in Spain experienced a gradual maturing in demand terms, which combined with some years of decline in the local population, resulted in waning volume sales. Consumers are continuing to move away from traditional powder detergents and towards concentrated liquid detergents, with the latter benefiting from increasing premiumisation as producers maintain their focus on developing more advanced offerings that incorporate other aspects of laundry care such as softeners, starch/ironing aids and stain removers.

Procter & Gamble is top of the laundry care pile

In 2020, laundry care in Spain remained fairly consolidated amongst four main players, led by Procter & Gamble España SA. The multinational gained value share over the review period as a whole due to its wide product portfolio that covers much of the category under its main brand Ariel, including the strongly performing liquid tablet detergents.

RECOVERY AND OPPORTUNITIES

Low but steady volume sales growth expected

With gloomy prospects for the Spanish economy in 2021, laundry care’s performance will remain fuelled by the heightened vigilance for hygiene and disinfection. Companies are adapting their products quickly to the new normality and consumers are keen on enjoying the peace of mind delivered by sanitary reassurance.

Solid performance anticipated from convenient liquid tablet detergents

Although remaining a small category within overall laundry detergents, liquid tablet detergents will continue to gain in momentum over the forecast period. It will record strong retail volume and current value growth as more affluent consumers switch to this convenient format, which avoids the mess, wastage and spillage factors of powder, and to some extent, liquid detergents.

Scent boosters and laundry sanitiser show producer attempts to add value

While there has been a notable increasing trend for all-in-one liquid or gel detergents amongst Spaniards, leading to declining interest in various laundry aids, the major players have continued to look at other avenues of gaining greater value through the launch of novel and premium products, in the hope of adding some dynamism to their sales. This has resulted in the entrance of scent boosters and laundry sanitiser towards the end of the review period, which both recorded double-digit current value growth in 2020 due to their low sales base.