This month Henkel Waschmittel launches Svit, a home care kit for dryclean only clothes. Initially it will be sold in Germany, Austria and France and the company plans to introduce the product in six other European countries later this year. There are no plans to bring the product to the UK.
Andreas Hartlip, project manager in Germany for Svit told LCN that, together with Procter and Gamble’s Dryel the product would start a new category, home drycleaning. He also said that the product was not intended to be a complete substitute for professional cleaning, and that the company did not want to conflict with professional cleaners. Svit could freshen clothes and also remove small, fresh stains such as lipstick, make-up, or salad cream. The cloths can be used for both purposes.
It will be available in two packs: the complete system with a bag and four cloths, and a refill pack with six cloths.
There seems little doubt that the market will open up further. Dryel is on-sale in the United States and Europe, and being market-tested in Ireland. It is also available on the Internet. A UK launch is expected this year, but no date has been set.
Ahead of the Dryel launch, a UK market for such products has been started. Acdo’s Glo bright was launched in February 1999 and is currently available in Sainsburys. Glo bright is described as a home drycleaning kit, but again the company says it is complementary to professional cleaning.
