Focus On Household: 1 February

Focus On: Household by Ash O’Mahony

Download feature synopsis PDF here

Publishing: February 1

Advertising deadline: 21 January

Submissions deadline: 14 January

There’s an element of Darwinism in the household market. For in this tough, price-driven market, only the fittest will survive. Brands without a clear purpose will quickly fall by the wayside. That’s shown by the lacklustre performance of brands this year – up 0.6% in value, on volumes down 2.5% – compared to 4.8% value gains of own label. But it’s not all doom and gloom. The tough environment is forcing brands to think innovatively. Those that have successfully carved out a clear selling point – whether environmental credentials, a compelling proposition, or even a Mrs Hinch recommendation – are managing to buck the decline. So, what is the key to success in this market? Who’s winning? Who’s losing? And why?

Key themes:

Premium: Brands are keenly pushing their premium credentials in a bid to fight off competition with own label. To what extent is this working?

Environmental credentials: How are eco-friendly brands performing? How are they securing growth, and can they take on established names in the category?

Mrs Hinch: How have her recommendations influenced the market this year? Which brands have won? And to what extent is she bolstering the branded market as a whole?

Price: Despite all of the above, price remains a major influence on household sales. So how have price dynamics changed over the past year?

Own label: Which own label lines are performing well, and why?

Retailers: How is the rising popularity of the bargain stores changing the market? And how are the mults responding?

Innovations: We identify four new household products that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before including launch date, RSP and picture of each.