Three Home Care Trends to Watch in 2021

Before 2020, the home care category was on a downward trend in most markets. Now however, health concerns and months spent at home have had an impact on shopping behaviour, and many home care products are now seen as essential in the face of COVID-19.

Looking ahead to 2021, we’ve identified three key home care trends where brands can use eco-friendly packaging to set themselves apart from the competition.

Trend one: Consumers’ engagement with cleaning products is growing

Covid-19 is fuelling demand for cleaning products. In October, P&G reported that organic sales of their home-care products surged more than 30% with double-digit growth in every region. Demand for bleach and other home care disinfectants surged, with 59% of US consumers and 52% of UK consumers increasing their use of disinfectants or other cleaning products.

People are more conscious of hygiene and cleanliness than ever before. They have had to learn new habits, like disinfecting their phones or deliveries and sanitising their clothes. This presents home care brands with an opportunity to play a bigger role in consumers’ lives.

According to Mintel, the pandemic is transforming home care brands into lifestyle brands. They can provide consumers with guidance on how and when to use cleaning and disinfecting products.

For example, Clorox has shared various “how to” content pieces to help educate consumers, including “How to make your own disinfectant solution using Clorox”. In another example, working with environmental health experts, Unilever’s brand Domestos educated consumers about targeted cleaning of high-touch surfaces in the home to help prevent the spread of the virus and saw strong double-digit growth.

With consumers likely to continue interacting at this increased level with cleaning products in 2021, brands can use eco-friendly packaging to communicate helpful advice about how to use products most effectively.

Innovations like Amcor’s MaXQ digital style packaging provide an on-pack connection to build relationships (and trust) with consumers. A quick smartphone scan of the MaXQ pack can immediately connect the consumer to a wealth of information, such as how to make the best use of a product and cleaning tips. It also allows brands to track and trace individual packs, helping to fight counterfeiting and, in some cases, to optimise the supply chain.

Consumers' new cleaning behaviours will not be unlearned easily; we expect to see a heightened appreciation of home hygiene for years to come.

__Trend two: Sustainability matters __

In 2019, the home care industry was moving towards more gentle ingredients. An increased focus on disinfection and Covid-19 prevention measures is now reversing this trend: while more sustainable, non-toxic ingredients are still important, consumers are prioritising efficiency.

While health and safety are front and centre, Mintel's COVID-19 research shows that people are still concerned about the environment and are looking for products in recyclable packaging. For example, 77% of UK adults try to act in a way that is not harmful to the environment, up from 72% before the pandemic.

Amcor’s European consumer research also confirms that people want to make a difference when it comes to more sustainable living. However, consumers are also confused about what more eco friendly packaging looks like and deciphering the meaning of various environmental logos, claims, and messages. Our research shows that consumers want clear options that will empower them to make more sustainable decisions.

Brands can win over consumers by demonstrating their strengths, like using naturally derived formulas that don’t compromise on efficacy, while keeping on-pack environmental messages clear and easy to understand.

One option for home care brands to explore is refill solutions. Refill pouches for soap, cleaners and detergents allow consumers to reuse the bottles, sprayers and dispensers they already have at home. Additionally, refill pouches are lightweight and easy to ship, enabling refill product to be purchased on-line, another strong trend in 2021 (see trend 3).

Customizable Stand-Up Pouches are designed to provide a convenient system for dispensing product and offer excellent protection that can stand up to the bumps in the road along the ecommerce supply chain. Amcor has a range of recyclable pouches for home care products that also meet the ISTA 6A ecommerce shipping requirements.

If you want to learn more about our research into consumer attitudes toward recycling and household packaging claims, watch our webinar on-demand and download the full report.

2021 is a good year for brands to review their household packaging environmental, with upcoming environmental regulations driving change. The EU will introduce Essential Requirements (ER) for packaging to reduce environmental impact without compromising its essential function of product protection. All new packaging to be introduced in the EU will need to comply with the Essential Requirements, with the target of 50% recycling of plastic packaging by 2025.

As part of the EU's wider circular economy policy, an extended producer responsibility (EPR) system for packaging will be introduced, with a deadline set for 2024. EPR financial implications won’t only be based on weight and type of material but will consider environmental, durability, reparability and reusability.

Trend three: Ecommerce leads the way

COVID-19 has pushed consumers to migrate to online channels like never before, including for home care products. According to Nielsen’s global ecommerce study, 1 in 2 shoppers claim to purchase non-food categories like personal care and cleaning products exclusively online. 19% of Italian respondents said they now purchase household cleaning products online because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
With demand for buying household products online likely to accelerate in 2021 and beyond, now is the time for brands to get their primary packaging ready for the ecommerce boom. Products delivered directly to consumers go through many more touchpoints and risk damage more than with traditional retail. In fact, the average ecommerce pack is dropped 17 times on route.

Leaking cleaning products packed together with foods or other household goods (i.e., in an e-grocery order) are especially detrimental to the consumer’s experience, and can result in product waste. The toughness of multi-layer pouches, and their ability to flex upon drops and additional handling make them ideal for home care products.

In 2019, Amcor opened two ecommerce testing laboratories where our sustainable packaging experts test and certify packaging for customers from around the world. Amcor is an official participant in the Amazon Packaging Support and Supplier Network (APASS). Our laboratories are certified to test packaged products for ISTA 6A, Amazon’s International Safe Transit Association 6 certification. The certification requires sustainable packaging to pass tests that simulate the journey from manufacturer to doorstep.

Brands that adapt to the shift in buying behaviours and deliver the best user experience will win the ecommerce game.

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To find out how you can make your home care packaging more sustainable and ecommerce ready, contact us and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your options.

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