Year In Review: Laundry Care

The following insights are powered by Nielsen in partnership with Unioncrate, an artificial intelligence demand planning platform that combines consumer behavior and historical shipment data to predict sales and inventory with up to 91.6% SKU-level accuracy.

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Welcome to Day 19 of Unioncrate’s Year In Review, taking a look at the laundry care category, which grew 8.8% this year.

Laundry Care

• When the pandemic hit and venturing outside became a bit scarier, we all wanted to make sure that the clothing between us and the world got thoroughly cleaned after we returned to the safety of our homes. The laundry detergent category grew 51.2% in the 4-week period ended 3/21.

• While clothing cleanliness was a priority, who really cared if there was a stain or four on your favorite WFH T-shirt? On-the-go stain remover sales dropped 31.6% in the 40-week period since March.

• Staying home all day in our pajamas meant they better be soft and comfortable, boosting growth in the fabric softener category to 6.4% during the pandemic.

Spin Cycle Stories

• Cleancult, a laundry detergent brand known for its zero-waste refillable detergent system, announced new scents, sizes, and a liquid detergent variety to join their product lineup, plus introduced a mail-back program for their detergent “milk” cartons to cater to those who don’t have access to curbside recycling.

• DTC eco friendly detergent brand Dropps raised $10 million to expand its range to other household products.

• Blueland launched Laundry Set, a line of chemical-free laundry detergent tablets that are more sustainable and better for the environment.

• Perfect for tough Covid-19 cleaning, appliance maker Whirlpool launched a laundry detergent that is eight times more concentrated than traditional detergent—all you need is a splash and you’re good to go.

Up Next: Kitchen Cleaner

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About Unioncrate

Unioncrate is an AI-powered Integrated Business Planning (IBP) platform that delivers demand forecasts with unmatched accuracy, collaborative visibility, and actionable intelligence—enabling CPG brands to plan and execute agile supply chain strategies at the click of a button.