Line up for a sparkling clothes line
With less disposable income, consumers are keen to make the very most out of the special garments they already own. As a result, laundry brands are fighting off competition from private-label rivals by focusing on the care and efficiency with which they can clean clothes. Gillian Hamill reports
Print11 August 2014
AT A GLANCE: LAUNDRY
- NewPersil Dual Action Capsules offer Ireland’s first dual microgranules and liquid chamber capsules
- New Febreze Sleep Serenity is the first range of products designed by Febreze to create a relaxing bedtime environment
- 46% of women agree that feeling fabulous in their clothes enables them to have a better day*
- 34% of women admit that they limit the amount of times they wear a special item for fear of it showing signs of ageing, like bobbling and loss of softness
- More than one in ten women (11.4%) compare the stress of losing their most loved pieces to the one of having a row with their partner
- With its new deep down softness formula, Lenor says it can extend the life of consumers’ favourite clothes by protecting them against the number one cause of fabric damage, repeated washing
In recent years, consumers have had less disposable income to spend on a new wardrobe and therefore want their existing clothes to look the best they possibly can. While effective stain removal is obviously a must, consumers want products that will be kind to their clothes and help them look new for longer. By emphasising their strengths in these areas, brands are managing to keep the threat posed by private-label alternatives at bay. To more and more consumers, it seems to be a ‘false economy’ to buy own-brand detergents which can prematurely age their clothes, through ‘bobbling’ and loss of softness. There has also been a move towards washing on lower temperatures and in quicker cycles, for environmental and economical reasons.
Better stain removal in one capsule
In June, Persil launched its new Persil Dual Action Capsules – Ireland’s first dual microgranules and liquid chamber capsule. The innovative new addition has been designed to deliver better stain removal in one capsule*. This launch is being supported with a marketing campaign across PR, out-of-home, in-store, digital, press and TV from June until September.
Available in 17 wash and 28 wash formats, the Bio Persil comes in a green pack whilst the Non-Bio variant comes in a blue pack to enable consumers to easily differentiate between the two. The striking new pack design also features a “new” flash and clearly highlights the dual action capsule to ensure optimum stand-out on shelf.
Rosalind Brown, marketing manager for Laundry at Unilever UK & Ireland, says: “Capsules are currently driving the laundry category as consumers favour quick, easy to use, shelf-efficient products. To tap into this trend and continue to drive innovation into this category, we are excited to be launching Ireland’s first dual-chamber capsule which contains stain removing liquid and microgranules locked into one capsule. We expect this unique and premium offering to encourage new consumers to switch from powder and existing shoppers to trade up within the category.”
On shelf from May and available in Bio and Non-Bio variants, the new Persil Dual Action Capsules combine powerful stain removing microgranules with a boosted concentrated liquid, to provide consumers with superior cleaning results even on tough stains*
*(Compared to Persil mono-chamber capsules on bleachable stains)
We’re really missing out on our beauty sleep
The effect of lost sleep is visibly noticeable, according to a new survey from Febreze Sleep Serenity, with almost two-thirds (62%) of respondents stating that people have made comments about how tired they look the morning after a bad night’s sleep. On average, those surveyed think they look three years older than their age following a night of poor sleep, leading them to spend €168.60 a year on products that would mask their tiredness and make them feel more awake and alert.
The research found that on average, those surveyed struggle to nod off on three nights each week and lose out on five hours and 26 minutes of shut-eye each week.
A night of disturbed sleep not only makes us sleepy, but the fear of looking older and hearing negative comments from our friends and colleagues, also makes us grumpy. Galwegians are least likely to wake up in a bad mood due to lack of sleep (69%), closely followed by people from Wicklow (63%) and Tipperary (61%).
Leading international sleep expert Dr Guy Meadows, comments: “People needn’t struggle with the negative effects of sleep deprivation. Creating a relaxing bedroom environment is a great way to help people prepare for a night of undisturbed sleep. This can include removing distractions, ensuring a room is dark, quiet, comfortable and a cool temperature. Certain fragrances can have a powerful impact on our senses and a calming effect on the body, which is why scent can have a role in creating a relaxing bedtime environment.”
The research revealed stress, bad dreams and partner’s snoring were among the top 10 reasons for a disturbed night sleep. Sunday was identified as the night we are all most likely to find ourselves tossing and turning, worried about the working week ahead.
The research is released in line with the launch of new Febreze Sleep Serenity, the first range of products designed by Febreze to create a relaxing bedtime environment.
Anastasia Roumelioti, Home Care Communications for new Febreze Sleep Serenity comments: “The research highlights that people care about their looks after a restless night and spend money to compensate for the lack of ‘beauty sleep’. With the Febreze Sleep Serenity Collection, we advocate the importance of scent in our bedtime ritual. Its expertly chosen fragrances, like lavender, can help us unwind from a stressful day and transition into a mood of relaxation, thus enjoying a good night’s sleep and avoiding a battle with the signs of tiredness the next day.”
Febreze worked with Dr Guy Meadows to identify different sleep typologies that users fall into. These can be found by visiting www.supersavvyme.co.uk/sleephappy and filling out a short quiz. Once consumers have identified which of three core sleep types they fit into, they will be able to access tips from Dr Meadows on how to adjust their nightime routine to #sleephappy.
Women buy but do not wear their clothes
Wearing our favourite clothes is more comforting than eating a bar of chocolate, according to new research released by Lenor. However over one-third of women save their clothes for best so they stay looking like new, even if they feel worse off for it.
Putting on their most cherished items of clothing is guaranteed to boost confidence levels, with 46% of women agreeing that feeling fabulous in their clothes enables them to have a better day.
However 34% admit that they limit the amount of times they wear a special item for fear of it showing signs of ageing, like bobbling and loss of softness and more than one in ten (11.4%) compare the stress of losing their most loved pieces to the one of having a row with their partner.
The study was commissioned by Lenor to mark the launch of its new Forever Fashion campaign. In celebration of its new deep down softness formula, Lenor is encouraging Ireland and the UK to become Forever Fashion Nations, helping women to enjoy their favourite clothes every day. The brand has teamed up with fashion expert Brix Smith-Start (co-presenter of ‘Fashion Fix’ with Gok Wan) to give her top tips on making wardrobes work for longer.
The new formula in Lenor helps to extend the life of consumers’ favourite clothes by protecting them against the number one cause of fabric damage, repeated washing. The new deep-down softness technology gives wardrobe staples a softness boost and just washed freshness feeling, whilst protecting brand new purchases from the outset, helping them to stay looking newer for longer, so consumers can wear and enjoy their favourite garments as much as they like without the worry of premature wear out.
Visit the Lenor Dress Happy Facebook page for more of Brix Smith-Start’s expert tips on caring for your favourite clothes and style advice at http://www.facebook.com/LenorUKandIRE.
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