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Millennials and Laundry Products
Some key decision-making factors among Canadian millennials when it comes to selecting laundry products include natural ingredients, label transparency, multifunctional and time-saving properties, and innovative, eco-friendly scents. A deep dive of these findings has been presented below.
1: Natural Ingredients and Label Transparency
- According to a 2020 report by Euromonitor, sales of sustainable laundry care products in Canada have been growing due to their appeal among eco-friendly consumers. The report further notes that "consumers in Canada are becoming increasingly interested in green cleaning."
- In today's society, many millennials are health conscious when it comes to their dietary habits, especially with regard to the ingredients in their food. A recent study found that millennials who avoid GMOs are also highly likely to base their purchase decisions surrounding laundry detergent on natural ingredients as well. In fact, the study found that millennials who actively avoid GMOs are also 4x more likely to look for natural ingredients when it comes to shopping for laundry detergent.
- A recent study found that only 37.7% percent of Canadians feel GMO foods are safe to eat. When analyzed with regard to the data presented above, this may suggest that the vast majority of Canadians would likely prefer natural ingredients when it comes to laundry detergent as well, given the correlation between these two preferences as evidenced above.
- According to Nielsen, "Sales of conventional products are declining, while sales of products that tout being simple, ‘clean,’ sustainable and free from artificial ingredients are on the rise. Millennials are leading the way with respect to buying products they believe are better for them, their families and the planet. They care much more about transparency and clean label than older generations do, and their spending prowess is growing.”
- According to Reuters, millennials' laundry detergent demands include environmentally sustainable products.
- "Forbes reported on a survey of more than 2,000 consumers that found a staggering 94 percent of respondents said they are likely to be loyal to a brand that offers complete transparency. They also said that when consumers switch to more transparent brands, 56 percent say they would stay loyal to that brand for life. Transparency was the number one factor for their loyalty, the survey found, with 78 percent of respondents saying they trust a brand more if it offers product transparency, even more so for millennial moms at 83 percent."
2: Multi-Functional and other Time-Saving Properties
- According to a 2020 report by Euromoitor, multi-functional qualities are driving sales of laundry care in Canada. The report states that multi-functional properties have been gaining increasing importance among the Canadian consumer base, particularly because consumers are very busy and they are seeking easy and simple laundry care items to better align with this.
- According to a report published by Reuters, millennials laundry detergent demands include products that help them save time.
- Key players in the laundry market, such as P&G, Unilever, and Henkel have been rolling out various pre-measured and all-in-one offerings as a way to help entice millennial buyers who are looking to save time.
3: Innovative and Eco-Friendly Scents
- According to a 2020 report by Euromonitor, innovative scents are a key driver of the Canadian laundry market.
- According to Broc D. Martin, Senior Market Research & Insights Manager at Arylessence, brands are swiftly responding to millennial consumer demands for eco-positioned products "with messaging strategically reinforced by fragrance."
- This means that millennials are seeking scents that are derived from environmentally safe formulations, such as Gain Botanicals, which is made of 65% plant-based ingredients.
- According to Michelle Harper, VP of scent design at Arylessence, “There’s an aromatherapy attribute to eco products, as well. The pervasive fanaticism of consumers who are passionate about essential oils is witnessed across scented products in the marketplace. Essential oils and similar naturally derived compounds are a perceived gateway to mental and physical wellness; this purchasing driver is definitely here to stay. Furthermore, stories around how these fragrance ingredients are made and sourced – such as organic claims and fair or ethical trade – also play a strategic role in the broader eco narrative.”
Research Strategy
To conduct this research, our team began by trying to look for any available survey data showing the laundry detergent preferences and purchase drivers of Millennials in Canada. However, no such survey data was found to be publicly available, meaning available hard data related to this specific topic is severely limited. This lack of available information likely has to do with the highly niche nature of the desired information and the relatively small population of Canada. Despite this, we were able to research this topic from two different angles to determine which preferences exist at the intersection of millennials and Canadians. This information was obtained from available surveys, market reports, and insights from expert analysis.