Western Europe

Consistent with trends across home care generally, volume sales of toilet care products declined in 2023. As inflation continued to rise, placing household incomes under intense pressure, consumers started to trade down to cheaper products. This…

Toilet care was one of the few categories to see growth in retail volume terms in 2023. Rim blocks saw a return to growth in 2023 with sales benefiting from the convenience of these products as consumers returned to busy lifestyles away from the…

Higher input costs continued to have a pronounced impact on retail price points, with strong increases noted during 2023. As inflation remained high, albeit lower than the 2022 peak, there was heightened consumer price-sensitivity. This underpinned a…

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the measures taken to contain it had a positive impact on sales of toilet care in 2020. With consumers working and studying from home they were using the toilet more frequently and thus this boosted demand for toilet…

In 2023, toilet care saw some modest current value growth thanks to inflationary pressures increasing average unit prices. Despite the impact of inflation on unit prices, the focus on toilet care remains significant among Austrian consumers. The…

The pandemic increased consumers’ hygiene awareness, leading to a surge in sales of surface care in 2020, when COVID-19 first emerged. Demand for surface care has continued to be strong since, with 2023 seeing higher sales than pre-pandemic levels,…

Surface care suffered a third consecutive year of declining volume sales in 2023, in contrast to the surge in demand seen in 2020. The advent of the COVID-19 virus in Italy had a very strong positive impact on retail sales in both volume and current…

2023 was a tough year for sales of surface care with volume sales declining while value growth was due to price increases rather than an increase in demand. With consumers’ disposable income being squeezed they were forced to rationalise their…

While showing signs of moderating, inflation remained an issue for the Danish economy at the end of the review period. From a review period perspective, inflation remained high in 2023, albeit below the 2022 peak rate. Inflation continued to have an…

Following a steep fall in 2022, volume sales in surface care remained under pressure in 2023. Inflation and the drop in disposable income for Belgian households meant that many consumers were careful about the amount of product they used when…

Surface care saw a healthy increase in current value sales in 2023, driven by rising average unit prices, while overall volume sales saw a decline. Despite local consumers maintaining higher standards for hygiene and cleanliness post-pandemic, with…

Demand for polishes in the UK continued to decline in 2023, in line with the category’s general pre-pandemic trend. The ongoing decline continues to be exacerbated by greater mobility outside of the home, as consumers spend more time in the office or…

As consumers look for new and innovative ways to save money, they try to save as much as they can by cutting expenses on anything that is not considered a strict necessity. Polishes oftentimes fall into this basket, considering that priority is…

Sales of polishes continued to decline in retail volume terms in 2023, following a long-term downward trend. Essentially, polishes are seen as products which can be easily replaced in home care, which falls in line with the rising popularity of…

Consistent with observations across home care, polishes in Denmark witnessed strong increases in retail current unit prices towards the end of the review period, including 2023. Still relatively high inflation amid higher input costs (energy,…

Sales of polishes had been on a downward trajectory for over a decade when the COVID-19 crisis hit Belgium with many consumers no longer investing in polishes. The category experienced an unexpected turnaround in fortunes in 2020 due to people…

In 2023, polishes saw continued volume decline, having received a boost during the pandemic when local consumers spent more time at home. Due to busy schedules, local consumers have less time available for deep cleaning and polishing their households…

Laundry care experienced growth in both retail volume and current value terms in the UK in 2023. Greater demand was driven by greater mobility, as consumers have returned to their normal lives. Alongside consumers needing to wash their clothes more…

Demand for laundry care products continued to fall in Italy in 2023, as consumers maintained the less rigorous washing and sanitation regimes practised pre-pandemic. Reduced anxiety over catching the virus, along with rising electricity costs and…

Sales of laundry care declined in retail volume terms as economic pressures and price rises pushed consumers to make savings. However, the essential character of laundry detergents means it is hard for consumers to significantly reduce their use of…