Rinse, Repeat… What We Heard on Laundry

Research evidence excerpt

Rinse, Repeat… What We Heard on Laundry

USA | Beverage, Household & Personal Care

Products EquityJulyResearch1, 2026

We hosted an expert call on laundry with Somil Shah, who emphasized

a category still anchored in performance but increasingly shaped by value

perception. Trade-down and cost-per-load focus likely continue to drive

private label gains (for now), while innovation remains mix-driven (boosters,

premiumization). Tide evo is strategically important as a platform innovation, .

but he sees the timing as suboptimal. Key takeaways and the video replay are Expert Specifics: Somil Shah brings

included below. over a decade of CPG experience

across innovation, product strategy, and

Shelf Decision Drivers. Laundry remains a performance-first category, but price/value has manufacturing. He is currently Founder and

moved up meaningfully as trade-down continues (private label, Arm & Hammer gaining share). CEO of Shah CPG Consulting (April 2022–

Convenience also plays a supporting role, while sustainability is increasingly relevant but remains present). Previously, he was Global R&D

secondary. Innovation & Product Strategy Manager

at Reckitt (August 2018–January 2022),

Defining Value. Cost per load is becoming increasingly important vs. shelf price, particularly as the where he led a 15-person team focused

category shifts toward more concentrated and compact formats. on consumer insights and innovation for

the Dettol brand. Before that, he spent ~7Innovation. Outside of pods, true category-expanding innovation has been limited. Recent

years at Procter & Gamble (June 2011–innovation has skewed toward premiumization (fragrance, boosters, concentration), reflecting how

July 2018), serving as R&D Innovationdifficult it is to change consumer behavior.