In 2007, Britain spent £270m on household cleaning products. Overall, growth was steady, driven mainly by bathroom and carpet products. By contrast, sales of window and shower products declined against 2006.

This static performance is reflected in the relative standing of the top 10 range: only two ranges saw a change in their ranking, and then only by one place. Leading brands have established their position in the market and there would have to be significant upheaval in the market to alter this arrangement. In fact, there was a comparatively high level of innovation this year, with 15% of all brands being new to the market. However, these had only a small impact compared with sales of the established brands.

Growth was driven by increased sales per trip: consumers are buying more on each visit to the supermarket. At the same time, prices are falling slightly - this reflects higher purchasing and possibly also an increased level of promotions across the category.

Asda and Tesco have the highest performing own label ranges. Tesco gained a place in the top 10 rankings against Cillit Bang, which has performed very strongly in previous years. Overall, though, brands still dominate this market, a reflection of the trust they have earned over the years.

Wilkinson plays a disproportionately strong role in household cleaners, with a share of trade in this market more than 10 times greater than its share across all markets. More in line with overall trends, the top four retailers account for two-thirds of all household cleaners sales - very close to their share of total grocery.

However, Asda is the only retailer that overtrades in this category; Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons all have a share gap, indicating a potential opportunity if they can convert more of their shoppers. To do this, they will have to win the loyalty of those shoppers who visit their stores for general purchases but buy household cleaners elsewhere. Currently, most of this 'missing' spend will be down to distress purchasing, which arises because consumers do not always make cleaning products part of their weekly shop. So, while such products may not be a mainstay of shopping lists, prompting shoppers could remind them of the need to replenish supplies.

Andrew Russell, TNS Worldpanel