Foreign Brands Can't Compete with Detergents, Shampoos That Boost 'Energy'... Every Other Household Uses TS Shampoo and Perio

3 Consecutive Years TS Shampoo No.1 'Specialized Hair Loss Care Popularity'... Toothpaste Leads by Perio & 2080
Laundry Detergent & Fabric Softener Battle by Persil & Downy... Strong Product Quality & Marketing Penetration

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] While 'Persil' and 'Downy' dominate the laundry detergent and fabric softener markets, and foreign brands of household products are making relentless inroads, only domestic brands have managed to hold the number one spot in shampoo and toothpaste markets, bringing smiles to local manufacturers.

Top 5 Shampoos, All Domestic Brands

According to market research firm Euromonitor International on the 16th, the domestic shampoo market has been led for three consecutive years by TS Trillion's 'TS Shampoo'. Its market share reached 16.9% last year, up from 13.8% in 2017 and 16.7% in 2018. TS Trillion, which offers products specialized in hair loss care, has expanded its market from home shopping to department stores, H&B stores, and duty-free shops, earning the nickname "National Shampoo."

The second place goes to Amorepacific's 'Ryo'. In 2014, Ryo was the top brand with a 16.6% market share, but it dropped to second place after LG Household & Health Care's 'Elastine' took the top spot in 2015 and 2016. In 2017, Ryo was pushed down to third place by TS Shampoo's offensive, recording 11.2%. It rebounded to second place in 2018 and 2019 with market shares of 13% and 13.3%, respectively. As of 2019, Elastine held 8.9%, followed by Aekyung Industrial's 'Kerasis' and LG Household & Health Care's 'Ryeon' with 8.6% and 8%, respectively, rounding out the top five brands.

Hong Hee-jung, Senior Researcher at Euromonitor International Korea (Beauty & Fashion division), said, "TS Shampoo is gaining popularity as more consumers are concerned about hair loss care and overall hair care," adding, "Just as functional skincare products have become widespread, functional hair care products will also become more commonly used, and the market will grow further."

LG Household & Health Care and Aekyung Continue to Dominate Toothpaste Market

The toothpaste market has maintained a duopoly between 'Perioe' and '2080' for several years. LG Household & Health Care's Perioe has solidified its position as the number one brand with market shares of 33.6%, 31.5%, and 33.3% over the past three years. Aekyung Industrial's 2080 also holds the second spot with market shares of 22.4%, 23.2%, and 23.2%.

Following 2018, Amway's 'Glister', LG Household & Health Care's 'Bamboo Salt', and Atomy's 'Atomy' products accounted for 11.9%, 6.6%, and 6.4% of the market share respectively in 2019, making them part of the top five brands.

Researcher Hong analyzed, "Perioe is one of the familiar toothpaste brands to consumers, known for various promotions, efforts in new ingredients and concepts, and new product development, which contribute to its popularity." However, although Perioe and 2080 combined surpassed a 60% market share in 2017, the combined share has since fallen back to the 50% range as consumers gradually seek higher-end brands.

Domestic Brands Struggle in Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener Markets

In contrast, domestic brands have been unable to maintain their footing in the laundry detergent and fabric softener markets. Since 2018, foreign brands have taken the top spot, causing shifts in rankings. In laundry detergents, LG Household & Health Care's 'Tech' held the number one position with a 17.2% market share until 2017 (with Persil at 14.8% in second place), but from 2018 onward, Tech was overtaken by Persil. As of 2019, Persil's market share was 18.8%, while Tech's was 16.3%. Following them were Aekyung Industrial's 'Riqua' at 10.55%, Lion Korea's 'Beat' at 8.5%, and Aekyung Industrial's 'Spark' at 6.5%. Narrowing the category to liquid detergents, which are the most widely used, the market share gap becomes even more pronounced. According to market research firm Kantar Worldpanel, Persil's market share in the first half of this year was 24.1%, maintaining its number one position. Persil has held the undisputed top spot in the liquid detergent market since 2014, with a market share gap of 10% over the second-place brand since 2015.

The fabric softener market also saw a reversal starting in 2018. P&G's Downy overtook LG Household & Health Care's 'Saffron' to claim the number one spot. As of 2019, Downy's market share reached 36.1%, widening the gap with second-place LG Household & Health Care's Saffron (31.9%) compared to 2018. Following them were Pigeon’s 'Pigeon' at 18%, Henkel's 'Vernel' at 4.3%, and Amway's 'SA8' at 1.1%.

An industry insider commented, "Foreign household product brands not only have strong product capabilities but also excellent marketing skills, which have made it relatively easy and effective for them to penetrate the domestic market."