Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 25th April 2024 Issue no. 1111
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Despite low brand loyalty, wipe sales grow faster than overall I&I cleaning market in 2014
Results of a survey published today show that while there is low brand loyalty, all product categories and companies registered growth in the market for industrial and institutional cleaning wipes in the US, which increased by over 5% in 2014.
'Industrial and Institutional Wipes USA: Market Analysis and Opportunities', issued by worldwide management consulting and market research firm Kline, reveals that several companies, such as market leader Clorox Professional Products or various smaller brands like Metrex Research or Spartan Chemical, are growing faster than the overall market growth.
This across the board uptake is due fact that end users view wipes as a convenient and effective way to clean their facilities.
Another development helping to expand sales of wipes is the recently modified Environmental Protection Agency's 'Wiper Rule'. Now that reusable, laundered cloths and solvent-contaminated disposable wipes are subject to the same regulations, it is expected to lead to increased future sales for wipes in various industrial and commercial end-use segments, says Kline.
To understand the market from the end user's perspective, Kline conducted structured surveys with a wide range of end users. The surveys find that while these products are important to users, loyalty to specific wipe brands is low, as less than one-third of the survey respondents note that the brand name of wipes is important as a purchase factor. More than half of the respondents say that they would simply choose an alternate brand of wipes if the distributor stopped carrying their brand.
Spurred by high usage in healthcare - the leading segment for disinfectant and sanitiser wipes application (followed by schools and universities) these wipes lead the group of hard-surface products with nearly 80% of overall sales; growing by 5.6% in 2014. Fitness facilities experience the highest growth in usage of such products.
Another category - general-purpose wipes, also registered a significant increase driven by usage within the industrial environment as they are well suited for cleaning grease and oil.
Schools and universities post the highest growth in sales of hand sanitiser wipes, underlining the importance of wipes for minimising the risk of infection among children and young adults. Schools are particularly heavy users of wipes with more than half of wipes being used in primary schools (grades K-12).
"End users of cleaning wipes utilise these products for multiple reasons but disinfecting and sanitising surfaces are key functions," briefs Laura Mahecha, I&I industry manager at Kline on survey findings. "Concern with maintaining clean facilities and keeping germs and bacteria away is high across all segments. Convenience, saving time, and safety of workers are other important purchase factors when buying wipes.
"However, end-users also voice some concerns about the cost of wipes compared to traditional cleaning products."
The five leading suppliers of industrial and institutional cleaning wipes account for 84% of the total market, and the sales disparities occur even among the top players where sales numbers double from one supplier to another. The top three suppliers are Clorox Professional Products, Reckitt Benckiser Professional, and Kimberly-Clark.
The market for institutional and industrial wipes will represent acceleration as the manufacturing sector continues to rise and is forecast to grow at a healthy compound annual growth rate of over 4% through 2019. The modified Wiper Rule will continue to influence sales growth. Hard-surface wipes will continue to be the leading product class, growing at a CAGR of 4.5% by 2019.
Industrial and Institutional Wipes USA: Market Analysis and Opportunities is part of Kline's series of reports serving the industrial and institutional cleaning market. This report provides a thorough assessment of the US market for I&I disposable wipes that also helps subscribers understand how end users purchase and use such products, the role of cleaning contractors, regulatory impacts, and the competitive landscape in this industry.
9th July 2015