The Importance Of Using Natural And Sustainable Ingredients In Household Cleaning Items
In the last few years and especially in a post-pandemic world, there has been a sea-change in consumer behaviour. Our health and the health of the planet has begun to take priority over all other considerations. Fortunately, the advent of a large number of products that use natural and sustainable ingredients has allowed us to make the switch without much problem. A recent report from the Capgemini Research Institute examined the impact of the promise of sustainability on consumer purchasing patterns. It also looked at how well consumer product and retail (CPR) organisations understood consumer expectations. The results showed that sustainability has risen up the customer’s agenda with 79 percent of consumers changing their purchase preferences based on social responsibility, inclusivity and environmental impact. What also came out strongly in the report is that Covid-19 has increased consumer awareness and made people want to commit to buying sustainably, as 67 percent of consumers said that they will be more cautious about the scarcity of natural resources after this crisis and 65 percent said that they will be more mindful about the impact of their overall consumption now.
A company that is well aware of this change in mindset is Delhi-based KIKGERM, as it has made a successful foray into the market of household cleaning items. Founded by Divya Arora in 2021, they now have their products at all leading retailers across Delhi-NCR such as Krishna 37 Super Marche, Le Marche, Needs, Modern Bazaar, MORE Retail, etc. Pan-India too they are available at Reliance Fresh Signature stores, Spencer’s Retail, and MORE Retail in Kolkata, Lucknow, Haridwar, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Punjab, and Jamshedpur. Further, through their website and e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart, they are available for purchase across the country.
“We stand for clean living and clean laundry. We started our company because we ourselves had an obsessive need for fresh, clean and hygienic at-home laundry. We also wanted to ensure that we stayed true to our promise of keeping kids, family members and the environment safe. Combining nature with science, our team at KIKGERM is constantly working to further improve our non-toxic products,” shares Arora.
Currently the KIKGERM offerings include Top Load Detergent Powder – available in 6kg, 4kg, 2kg boxes, 1kg packs and 100gm sachet packing; Front Load Detergent Powder – available in 6kg, 4kg, 2kg boxes, 1kg packs and 100gm sachet packing; Advance Care Detergent Powder suitable for Top and Front both - available in 6kg, 4kg, 2kg boxes, 1kg packs and 100gm sachet packing. All the products provide 99.99 percent protection against germs, are made with natural essential oils and are SLS, SLES and paraben free.
Soon, KIKGERM will be launching their range of liquid detergents, including baby specific laundry products. Though all their products were designed with the sensitivity of kids to products in mind, they wanted to provide a safe cleaning solution for babies as well. The formulations of these baby-safe products are carefully designed using plant-based and anti-bacterial ingredients to remove germs that are harmful for the health and overall growth of babies.
“Sustainability has been a key focus of the brand and we ensure that the ingredients used in our products are not harmful for our users or the environment. KIKGERM was created to provide an alternative to harmful cleaning practices, to protect the environment, and to provide protection from harmful germs that cross our path every day,” says Arora with pride.
Referring to their biggest reward as their customer’s approval and trust, Arora highlights that their brand has fast become popular as a repeat purchase. “Customers come back to stores and ask for KIKGERM while huge multinationals who have captured this segment for decades sit on the same shelf. This reminds us that we are doing something right, and that people want to opt for safer cleaning practices, but were waiting for someone to provide an affordable option,” Arora shares as she signs off.
The success of KIKGERM products has proven the change in the market mindset beyond a doubt. Most importantly, it has highlighted the importance of using natural and sustainable ingredients in household cleaning items.
