Unilever to spend more on high-end laundry products in nation

British consumer goods company Unilever Plc said it has strong confidence and determination in the China market, one of its biggest driving forces of growth, and it aims to make more investments in the laundry products sector to meet increasingly high-end, diversified demand in the country.

The Laundress, a high-end laundry products brand founded in New York by two textile experts in 2004, entered the China market in 2017 and was later acquired by Unilever in 2019. The company has witnessed strong demand and booming business performances, exceeding its expectations.

Earlier this year, The Laundress launched its Asia innovation center in Tianjin, and it has become a site in addition to Unilever's six research and development centers globally. The company plans to invest more in plant-based laundry products and those made with enzymes.

With the quality of life improving nationwide, Chinese consumers, such as young mothers and office workers of different age groups, have shown an increasingly segmented demand for washing and cleaning products, as they purchase various types of clothing in delicate and uncommon fabrics.

The Laundress aims to provide choices of delicate fabric care and cleaning solutions tailored for a variety of fabrics. The brand plans to strengthen localized innovation in China, a vibrant and thriving market, and better meet the needs of local Chinese consumers with customized products, it said.

In the past few decades, China's laundry products sector has experienced an upgrade in industrial structure and high-quality growth, and the market share of laundry products now accounts for the largest portion of the daily chemical products sector, according to the China Cleaning Industry Association.

"The domestic washing and cleaning industry is developing rapidly. With the emergence of new consumer demand, the industry has been continuously moving toward digitalized, intelligent, green and low-carbon manufacturing," said Wang Minyan, chairman of the China Cleaning Industry Association.

"The sector should continue to introduce more high-quality and environmentally friendly laundry products to meet increasingly diversified demand from Chinese consumers," she said.

The R&D center and production line of The Laundress in Tianjin is located in Unilever's home care and cleaning plant.

Relying on China's leading technology in intelligent manufacturing, the filling speed of bottles on the production line has significantly improved — some 100,000 bottles of laundry products can be rolled off the line weekly. Typically, it takes one week from production to final transportation of the products, the company said.

"China's high-end consumer group is constantly growing and many people have shown higher demand for premium products than other countries. We have cooperated with Tianjin University, Nankai University and other R&D centers globally in R&D efforts, and we are optimistic about Tianjin's talent reserves," said Shen Jun, research and development head of North Asia at Unilever.

Unilever is marking the 100th anniversary of its entry into the China market this year and the company plans to continue to increase investment in the country. Currently, China stands as one of its three largest markets globally.