Household

Focus On: Household and Paper Products by Rob Brown and Natalie Brown

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Publishing: 26 January

Advertising deadline: 14 January

Submissions deadline: 9 January

The Story

Cleaning is getting conscientious. In a bid to appeal to shopper motivations beyond price, brands and retailers have stepped up their environmental credentials. No longer is eco-friendly a niche sector within cleaning – it is taking a mainstream turn. Can these guilt-free ranges tempt shoppers away from cheaper products? Who will win this eco-battle? And what else is going on in household?

Key themes:

Cleaning up the planet: What have been the key innovations in sustainable household and paper products this year? Who is the category is looking into new eco-friendly solutions, and how could eco-friendly NPD help brands get back into growth?

Brands vs own label: Own label wiped the floor with its branded counterparts this year. So how can added-value products such as eco-friendly credentials help brands win back shoppers?

Price hikes: The majority of sectors got more expensive this year – a result of a drop in promotional activity, added-value products and inflation in sectors such as toilet roll. How did this affect sales and buying habits?

Innovations: What have been the main innovations in cleaning products, paper products and aircare this year and how are they shaping the market?

Retailers: Three of the big four lost category value this year, while Aldi and Lidl both achieved double-digit growth. Still, it’s not all about price, as Wilko saw value sales drop more than 5%. What is going on here? To what extent is the Hinch effect playing out?

Ad campaigns: Which brands have been investing in campaigns last year, and will marketing budgets increase or be cut this year?

Cleaning via social media: The days when Brits were inspired to crack out the disinfectant by the likes Kim and Aggie’s ‘How Clean is Your House?’ are long gone. Today’s cleanspiration comes in the form of Mrs Hinch, the self-proclaimed ‘cleaning mad’ Instagrammer whose cleaning tips and pics have gained her over 600,000 followers. Is cleaning becoming cool? What can brands learn from the rise of Mrs Hinch?

Online Listicle to go live on 18 January: What are the main innovations & how are they shaping the market

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