What's trending in 2016?

General consumer trends can be useful indications of what will become important in business to business circles. New market research from Mintel interestingly mentions cleaning in two of the five key UK consumer trends it says will impact the market in 2016, with one being the importance of reducing water consumption.
"Shortages will make water a precious and politically charged commodity, encouraging innovation in sourcing, recycling and manufacturing," Mintel's senior trends consultant Richard Cope said. 

"Consumers are alive to the need of water conservation and will warm to brands that can help achieve this at a personal and public level," he added, before going on to say that 48% of UK consumers worry about the impact of using too many chemical-based cleaning products on the environment, and that “some companies will work to make water recycling, restoration and research part of their corporate social responsibility programme".

Mintel's second UK consumer trend to affect the cleaning market is also centred on a more 'environmentally friendly' approach, as it predicts that fears surrounding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will cause consumers and brands to react by favouring purer and more natural products because they believe them to be better for their health.

The TTIP is the proposed free trade agreement between Europe and the US, with the aim of making it easier and fairer to export, import and invest overseas. Critics believe that by reducing the regulatory barriers to trade for big business, the treaty will weaken food safety law and environmental legislation, potentially flooding the market with genetically-modified and untested cleaning products as well as beauty and food products. 

Cope concluded: "Whether or not the TTIP gets ratified in 2016 is something of a moot point, as the media storm surrounding it will be enough to get consumers to think – and look – twice at their (cleaning) products as well as beginning to explore more natural alternatives."

We'd love to hear your predictions for the cleaning industry in 2016 and beyond. Please email me to share your thoughts.
[email protected]