Competition in toilet cleaning market to intensify

Photo shows some leading toilet cleaner brands. Competition in the household products market is expected to intensify as a local cosmetics and toiletries maker, Kohinoor Chemical, has stepped in with its toilet cleaner aiming to exploit a slice of the market.Photo: STAR

Competition in the household products market is expected to intensify as a local cosmetics and toiletries maker, Kohinoor Chemical, has stepped in with its toilet cleaner aiming to exploit a slice of the market and to witness double digit growth every year.
The 'Clean Master' of Kohinoor Chemical, one of the oldest cosmetics and toiletries manufacturer, will compete with other leading toilet cleaner brands such as Harpic, Vanish and Shakti.
Kohinoor has introduced its toilet cleaner at a time when the Tk 45 crore toilet cleaning market records about 15 percent growth a year due to the growing health consciousness of people.
Urbanisation, coupled with a growth in housing, has helped increase the demand for products that offer removal of tough stains, kills germs and eliminates the source of odour in toilets, industry people said.
Harpic, of global household product maker Reckitt Benckiser Bangladesh, controls a majority of Bangladesh's toilet cleaning market, followed by Square Toiletries' Shakti and ACI's Vanish, operators said.
“We have introduced our product considering the growing health consciousness among people. The quality of our product will help prove itself,” said Altaf Hossain, senior vice president, sales and marketing of Kohinoor that has offered price competition and other incentives to promote its product.
At present, the retail price of each 500 ML container under brands such as Harpic, Vanish and Shakti is at Tk 53 while Kohinoor offers the same at Tk 50.
Industry people said Kohinoor's entry would help expand the market as the penetration of toilet cleaners are still low, compared with the total household market in the country. The entry of new players will also enhance competition and benefit consumers by increasing their choices.
“The penetration of toilet cleaners is about 15 percent of the total household market in the country. The market will expand as more products are introduced. It will also increase competition and give consumers more options to choose from,” said Malik Mohammed Sayeed, head of marketing of Square Toiletries.
M Hossain Iraz, group product manager of ACI Consumer Brands said the market for the toilet-cleaning product is growing due to a belief in healthy living. “Now its uses are not confined to urban area only, people in sub-urban areas are also moving towards it,” he said.
“But standing up with the product will depend on meeting consumers expectation,” he said adding that the only differentiating factor is the time required to get a germ-free and clean toilet. “Our product takes less time to clean,” he said.
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