Surface Care in Italy

PROSPECTS

Increasing maturity for popular multi-purpose cleaners

Demand for surface care continued to gradually decline in Italy in 2019, influenced by the largest category of multi-purpose cleaners, which experienced some stagnation due to maturity. However, it remains popular amongst many local consumers as they prefer to store just one or two products that can be applied to a range of surfaces around the house, rather than having to invest in a number of specific cleaning products, offering them greater convenience and saving them money and reducing the need for storage.

Home care disinfectants to continue outperforming category in volume growth terms

Home care disinfectants recorded stronger demand in 2019, as a general way to ensure that Italians’ homes are free from germs and bacteria, particularly due to the increasing presence of pets in their homes. Many domestic pets in Italy, particularly cats, spend a great deal of time inside the home, and consequently, consumers tend to purchase products that help to keep their surfaces, furniture and carpets clean and sanitised, with an all-round effective disinfectant, to ensure high levels of hygiene.

Ban on EDC may encourage higher number of players to develop ecological surface care

Surface care may continue to be impacted by the European Commission’s decision to ban products that contain EDC (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals) as these are chemical substances are considered to pose a health risk for consumers. Although not specific to this category, along with other home care categories, as of June 2018, any products that contain EDC are now banned for usage in all home care products under regulation (n.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Unilever retains narrow lead within intensifying competitive landscape

Unilever retained its narrow lead over surface care in 2019, with the player reorganising its product portfolio and concentrating on its main umbrella brands of Lysoform and Cif. The latter offers a wide range of products including scouring agents in cream format, floor cleaners, sanitising wipes which have been specifically created for the cleaning of barbecues, a pastime which is becoming increasingly popular in Italy, and multi-purpose cleaners under Cif Power & Shine Sgrassatore Universale and Cif Gel which continued to gain value share, in addition to launching Cif Duo towards the end of the review period.

Italian consumers identify Ajax with bathrooms with the brand launching its Easy Rinse line targeting this area

Ranked second overall, Ajax is the brand in focus for Colgate-Palmolive’s surface care range in Italy. Ajax’s product portfolio is fairly extensive, and it has been able to build its brand presence with broad distribution, particularly within health and beauty specialist retailers and variety stores, which display its full range, allowing it to gain greater visibility and increase brand awareness.

Surface care could see further development of ecological brands over forecast period as younger consumers gain greater awareness of environmental issues

Although the number of ecological brands of surface care remained limited in Italy in 2019, some green products emerged towards the end of the review period to address increasing concerns amongst environmentally-aware consumers, particularly millennials, who care about their health and wellbeing in addition to wanting to reduce the number of chemical-based home care products in their homes to protect the planet. This is particularly pertinent given the European Commission’s decision to ban products that contain EDC (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals).

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