P&G plans to reduce its range of laundry products

Procter & Gamble is planning a major consolidation of its laundry range, which will see all of its liquid and tablet formats scrapped over the next five years.

The move comes as P&G prepares to launch new gel formats across Bold, Daz and Fairy this summer, following the launch of Ariel Excel Gel in October.

The new strategy will reduce the P&G detergent range to the new gel formats, powders and liquitabs across those four brands.

It will be implemented in stages, which will start with all of its products being reduced in size through concentrated or compact versions. Over the next three to five years, the tablet and liquids will be phased out, leaving liquitabs as the only single dose format.

The rationalisation of P&G’s laundry detergents in the UK, which has more formats than any other market, forms part of its commitment to making environmentally friendlier products, generating less packaging and using less energy.

Flagship brand Ariel is currently available in five formats; powder, liquid, tablets, liquitabs and the new Ariel Excel Gel, which was launched in October. Its other brands are all available in at least three versions, including liquids and tablets.

P&G sees the low temperature Excel Gel as its next generation. It says Excel Gel can be used at temperatures from as low as 15 degrees, although the company has attracted some criticism for this claim, as most household washing machines cannot be set to operate at that temperature.

The plan underlines P&G’s commitment to the Excel Gel, which it claims is a “major environmental milestone”. The company has embarked on several “green” initiatives in the laundry sector, such as its Future Friendly labelling scheme. It also spent more than £12m on the Ariel Turn to 30 Degrees campaign, which was hailed by green campaigners for its potentially positive effect on the environment.