Ranked: Top Cleaning Brands on Amazon in 2021

“Spring cleaning,” is taking on a new meaning. Now, maybe for the first time in more than a year, many shoppers prep their homes for guests. In this post, we’ll use Shopper Intelligence data to examine Amazon’s top cleaning brands with the largest unit sales in 2021. We’ll look at the factors propelling their growth and provide tips for CPG brands.

Amazon household cleaning category at a glance

In 2021 (January-April) units sold and conversion rates increased for Amazon’s household supply category while revenue and product views are down. Since shoppers can now buy the products they want, when needed, rather than hoard bulk cleaning supplies, they are buying smaller ticket items with lower price points, at a higher frequency.

Despite changing consumer dynamics, the same cleaning brands reign. Let’s look at (and learn from) who’s ranked highest.

1. Lysol cleans up rankings ahead of Clorox

Lysol and Clorox, which account for nearly 25% of Amazon’s household cleaning supply revenue, take the number one and two spots for top cleaning supplies two years in a row. However, Lysol is gaining an edge over Clorox.

While Lysol’s unit sales increased nearly 11%, Clorox declined by 22%, January-April 2021, year-over-year (YoY). Revenue and product views for both brands decreased. However, Clorox endured more losses with a revenue decline of 83% (vs. 44% for Lysol) and product views down 67% vs. 79% for Lysol. These declines align with overall category activity.

Insight

Lysol’s product selection has effectively adjusted to consumer demand. For two consecutive years, its fresh, crisp linen spray ranked among the top three category sellers. While last year the most popular offering was a 2 pack, priced at $10, this year the single fresh linen spray, approximately $4, is the bestseller.

With in-store shopping rising with vaccine rollouts, consumers are spending less per transaction online, for lesser volume, but making them more frequent (whether online or in stores).

Takeaway for CPG brands

Ensure that your products come in single units, not just bulk or multi-packs. At a lower price point and quantity, it’s easier for shoppers to rationalize buying your products.

2. Green Gobbler gobbles up other household cleaners

Green Gobbler, ranked third, climbed from seventh place just one year ago. “Green” acquisitions helped fuel this growth, including resources for marketing.

In August 2020, Weiman Products, known for chemical cleaning supplies, acquired Green Gobbler, whose tagline says “safer, stronger, cleaning products.” The year before Carlyle Group, the leading private equity firm, acquired Weiman, with greener alternative products among goals. Shortly thereafter, the Green Gobbler acquisition was part of a $750 million deal to support Carlyle Group’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment strategies.

We suspect that additional resources helped Green Gobbler ramp up its ad budget, catapulting it to Amazon’s third top household cleaning brand. Green Gobbler’s paid search clicks more than doubled from 2020 to 2021 (176,000, to 390,000).

Weiman’s paid clicks increased to a lesser extent, signifying that Green Gobbler’s eco-friendly, sustainable brand is more in touch with consumer sentiment and worthy of Carlyle’s investment.

Takeaway for CPG Brands

By expanding offerings to include more eco-friendly products, brands can appeal to increasingly conscious consumers that value sustainability and the environment.  Ultimately, shoppers want products that align with their values. Leading investors are also eager to fund these brands.

Methodology

We pulled the list our list of top cleaning brands using Shopper Intelligence, which provides consumer and purchase behavior insights on Amazon and other eCommerce marketplaces.

To learn more about trends in cleaning supplies or other CPG categories, connect with us to schedule a demo. We can also review more reports specific to your product offering.

by Emily Hunt

Market Research & eCommerce Specialist

Emily writes about digital retail, CPG, travel, and consumer finance, with a background in business development and marketing.