From powders to liquids: Competition heats up in liquid cleaners market in India
Aided by the growth in ecommerce, competition in liquids cleaners is heating up with the entry of multiple new players — not just in cities but in smaller towns too.
According to a recent report by researcher Kantar, just two categories in the home and personal care segment added more than 10 million new consumers in 2023, both in the liquid format. Liquid fabric softeners and washes added 14 million and 13.1 million new users, respectively. Against the overall fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market growth of 5%, these segments grew 13% and 20% each, Kantar estimated.
Sales of such products have accelerated at a faster pace than solids and powders. Hindustan Unilever (HUL), ITC and Colgate-Palmolive India are expanding their liquid products portfolio.
This is across brands and price points, making liquid soaps and washes the next hotspot.
Everyone’s vying for a piece of the pie — startups as well as established brands such as Mamaearth, Wow, Safewash, Santoor and Wipro Consumer Care’s Chandrika, Godrej Fab and several other labels of ecommerce majors and retailers.
Sameer Satpathy, divisional chief executive of personal care products at ITC, said the shift reflects the needs of an aspirational society looking for premium products that are unique and differentiated. “This trend is further fuelled by the penetration of ecommerce and digital acceleration,” he said.
HUL chief executive and managing director Rohit Jawa told analysts last month that there was a macro-secular trend of consumers moving toward
