Natural value: household cleaning product trends

Walmart is rolling out a new private-label brand of all-natural cleaning products, Great Value Naturals, which the retailer says is as effective as leading conventional cleaning brands.

Great Value Naturals cleaning products are made from plant-based, all-natural “Evolve” cleaning technology and are sold exclusively at Walmart. The products are 100% chemical- and toxin-free, biodegradable, non-allergenic and packaged in recyclable materials.

“The launch of Great Value Naturals is an important step in making green cleaning habits an affordable option for millions of consumers. Many consumers have the perception that all-natural cleaners are more expensive and don’t work as well as traditional cleaning products. Great Value Naturals addresses those concerns by combining affordability, performance and care for the environment.”

– Alberto Dominguez, Walmart vice president and divisional merchandise manager, to happi.com

Green habits

In the post-recession world, many consumers are still keeping an eye on budgets and cutting costs wherever possible and many are unwilling or unable to spend more on green products, especially if they’ve slipped into a lower income reality (see our “The Nouveau Poor” trend).

Indeed, according to Mintel’s Marketing to the Green Consumer US March 2013 report, 64% of consumers said they would buy more eco-friendly products if they were less expensive.

And this creates a clear opportunity—one that Walmart is taking full advantage of. We’ve seen how the retailer giant has upped sustainability in other areas and other retailers have introduced their own green lines of household and personal care products.

Because consumers are beginning to realize that eco-responsibility is increasingly important, not only personally but at all levels, the chances for businesses to target consumers with greener items and services abound. The challenge for companies is to introduce affordable products or otherwise convince consumers that the greener option is more affordable in the long run. Those businesses that achieve that goal are sure to see increased custom and positive brand association.

For a deep and complete analysis of the current situation of consumers and their lifestyles, Mintel published the following market research: Marketing to the Green Consumer in the US.

This is an observation from our Inspire trend Green and Lean which looks at how personal benefits of going green are proving as or more important than the planetary. For the latest trends and observations on Inspire click here.