According to the latest findings from Roy Morgan Research, 32% of grocery-buyers buy fabric softener (either regular, Ultra or sachet) in any given six-month period. Cuddly is the leading brand, purchased by just over 12% of grocery-buyers, ahead of Fluffy (9%), supermarket brands (8%), Comfort and Huggie (2% respectively).
“Our data also reveals that consumers from the less affluent end of the socio-economic spectrum are more likely than their wealthier counterparts to buy fabric softener. Similarly, grocery-buyers on ‘home duties’ (41%) show a much greater tendency to purchase it than those in paid employment (30%).” Andrew Price, General Manager – Consumer Products, Roy Morgan Research commented.

Mr. Price explained that female grocery buyers (35%) are more likely overall than their male counterparts (27%) to buy fabric softener, with some key differences in the type bought. Women who buy fabric softener are slightly more likely to opt for brand names, while men who buy it are slightly more likely to choose supermarket brands. Cuddly is the equal-opportunity exception, being purchased by similar proportions of male fabric-softener buyers as female.
“Given that a much higher proportion of women than men are grocery buyers, it’s no surprise that the majority of Australians purchasing fabric softener in an average six months are women. This is good news for brands since female shoppers are more likely to choose established brand names than their supermarket equivalent.” Mr. Price commented.
Price went on to point out that parents with kids aged under-16 at home (34%) are also more likely than the average grocery buyer to buy fabric softener. Parents with infants aged 0-2 show the highest purchase incidence (39%), followed by those with kids between nine and 11 years (37%).