Increased performance cleans up in detergents
Laundry detergent manufacturers are betting that consumers will pay more for products that offer increased convenience and better performance. A number of new products that have entered the market recently have brought innovation and excitement to a flat category that hasn’t seen much change in three decades.
In the first quarter, Procter & Gamble introduced Tide Pods, three-chamber capsules that clean, fight stains and brighten, all in one premeasured product. Tide Pods retail for 25% more than traditional liquid detergents. The Sun Products Corp. followed with the introduction of All Mighty Pacs, a similar all-in-one capsule that also carries a higher retail price.
Other introductions followed, including Church & Dwight’s Arm & Hammer Power Pak and Dial Corp.’s Purex UltraPacks. The Purex brand had a big hit last year with Purex Complete Crystals fabric softener, which features new technology. Despite a higher retail price than traditional liquid softeners, the product became a huge success.
The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Household Cleaning Buy-In Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.