Nigeria’s population is growing everyday as a recent statistics showed that there are about 2000 new babies born every year. It only means that for every new baby, there is the opportunity to buy different laundry products. As the popular Yoruba complement “Eku Owo Lomi” (meaning it’s a season for doing a lot of laundry because of the arrival of a new baby) specifically for new mothers, there is always the need to buy detergents.
This development has increased competition and quest for market shares among detergent producers such as Unilever Nigeria Plc, makers of Sunlight detergent, Omo detergent, Procter & Gamble (P&G), producers of Ariel and PZ Nigeria Plc, manufacturers of Canoe.
Bearing in mind the various challenges posed by new entrants into the detergent product line, major producers now have some more threats from some ‘not so huge producers’ who are now making huge impact in the market such as Eko Supreme Resources Nigeria Limited, makers of SoKline and Mama Gold, Nasco Industries, producers of bonus, and Limex Global, manufacturers of Miss Bimbo.
A readily available market of a population of 180 million people and a chance for growth every day, it is only going to get better for this industry as it has been discovered that every birth is a potential increase in the sales of detergents.
CUSTOMERS’ RETENTION STRATEGY
A market survey carried out by City People’s Brands & Products revealed that the market leaders have considerably added more value such as perfumes to attract and retain consumers’ interest.
Re-branding, re-packaging, re-designing and reducing grammages to be more pocket-friendly with the reduced purchasing power of consumers are some of the other strategies employed by these giant outfits to ensure that they capture more markets for themselves.
New washing technology or chemicals for commercial laundry service providers such as such as stain removers also serve as added value.
Brands & Products alsogathered that as a result of these market and competition dynamics some market leaders have been pushed down the bottom line
Brands like Omo and Surf both produced by Unilever, as well as Elephant detergent produced by PZ, had ruled the market, but faded out as a result of inability to adjust to the emerging market situation and the dynamics of customers’ insatiable demand for quality at a relatively affordable price.
PZ had tried to re-launch the Elephant brand back to the market but failed in the mission as the realities of the new market order weighed down on their plans, which invariably impaired their re-entry.
MARKET SURVEY
Brands & Products carried out a market survey to know which detergent product consumers think is best, their most preferred and why, and the following were the responses of consumers:
Madam Abegunde Atinuke said she grew up with only two brands in mind, Omo and Elephant but today, she has switched her allegiance to Sunlight. In her words: “Well… I don’t know what you people intend to achieve with this question you are asking me, but as far as I am concerned, there is no detergent I prefer like Sunlight lately. My aged mother used to send me to buy Omo and Elephant thjose days, but now, Sunlight just came with different things that attracted me; most especially the perfume in their product and the fact that it is available everywhere.”
A mother, Mrs. Josiah Anuolapo, said, “what attracts me to the brands is that they all have cleaning power, unlike in those days you have to scrub and scrub before you get result, the detergents have all improved greatly,” she stated. A look into the price list of the brands and offerings show a differentiated price war.
For example, 90gram and 190 gram of SoKline sells for N70 and N130, but was between N50 and N100 late 2016, while both detergents offered consumers the privilege of colour guard, stain magnet technology and concentrated 30 percent detergent.
The 200gram of Gold Mama from the same company sells for N120, offering consumers extra cleaning power/improved formula for washing, according to a roadside store owner, who claimed that the pricing difference is because SoKline is more popular and has been in the market before Gold Mama.
Another consumer, owner of a dry cleaning outfit, Mr. Gimba Abdul said most of the detergent brands are doing well in the market, basically because consumers want more for little amount, elegant designs and perfume input.
“Some have gone ahead to infuse other washing ingredients and technology into their brand to enhance their acceptance in the market,” he stated. According to him, “most times I use two of these brands, SoKline and Sunlight. SoKline for its stain magnet and colour guard technology and Sunlight for its freshness and perfume.”
On the market leadership, a distributor of the detergent products at Balogun Business Area, trade fair complex, Lagos, who preferred not to mention his namer said: “The limitations of traditional bar soaps have led to the development of synthetic detergents that are superior in performance.”
He said most of the brands are doing well, but noted that Sunlight, Ariel and SoKline are major contenders in the leadership position in the market, but that the odd favours Sunlight and Ariel.
Mr Abdulrasaq Taiwo, Managing Director, Haqq Enterprises said, “from what I observed, the battle line is being drawn by the detergent manufacturers, sometimes you are confused as to who is the market leader, but from my ledger here, Sunlight, Ariel and SoKline sell most. I prefer sunlight anyways, he concluded.”
In her opinion, a mother of 5, Mrs Adaranijo Omolola said: “In fact, the brands are tearing the market apart with their various appeals like re-packaging , fragrance inclusion and design which is repositioning the brands, while keeping their promises; but SoKline and Sunlight always do the magic for me.”
Women, according to her “love the Sunlight yellow and purple colours,” which she said attracts consumers to it. The annual consumption of detergents in Nigeria is in the magnitude of hundreds of thousands of tonnes.
From responses garnered so far, Sunlight seems to be the favorite of many detergent consumers in Nigeria as at this moment, followed by SoKline, Omo, Ariel and others. But consumers don’t always have permanent loyalty because an innovation from any other brand can sweep the dangling market and the brand may find itself in the topmost place.
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