Indian consumers will continue to seek extra hygiene benefits from products including fabric care, as the threat of the pandemic is still lingering, says a report. According to market intelligence firm Mintel's latest research, the coronavirus pandemic has heightened hygiene concerns, including in the fabric care sector.

As many as 81 per cent of 3,000 internet users aged 18 years and above agreed that sterilising clothes is an essential part of their laundry rituals, as per the report.?"Though the worry of COVID-19 is subsiding, hygiene remains on consumers' top-of-mind when purchasing products, and these consumers (even migrant workforces) are likely to retain a preference for upgraded options as they seek better protection and care for their clothing as they return to the cities and resume normal work routines," Mintel Beauty & Personal Care Analyst Tanya Rajani said.

Moreover, the liquid detergent format, which is considered to be a premium offering in the fabric care segment, has become more popular among consumers after the pandemic."The heightened demand for hygiene has also led to an increase in liquid format launches (41 per cent) from November 2020 to October 2021. This has overtaken powder format launches (27 per cent) following the continuous growth of washing machine usage in urban India," it said.

Meanwhile, the previously non-existent category of fabric sanitisers saw a sudden spike in 2020, with 91 fabric sanitisers launches during the past five years taking place in 2020 alone. Around 43 per cent of millennial men (299 male internet users aged 25-34 years) showed strong demand for fabric sanitisers – a category that was non-existent before 2019 – to ensure extra clean fabric upon returning from work, as per the report.

With PTI inputs.