According to the white paper "Trends in Countries under Common Trends" jointly released by Mintel and the Economist Intelligence Unit this week, China's growing economy has already affected people's lives: 97% of urban households own washing machines, and sales of laundry detergent and detergent have hit a record high. However, the main increase in sales came from rural areas, where the number of households with washing machines increased from 1 per cent to 16 per cent in the decade from 2000 to 2010.

Detergent sales are as important as estimators in predicting the overall development of the country's economy. They all need an expensive, labor-saving device that only needs water and electricity in their homes. Similarly, when sales of other appliances rise, such as refrigerators or washing machines, it is often seen as the first sign that a country's economy is truly booming. (Home appliance sales in developed countries are relatively stable and easy to estimate, as it is widely believed that adding a new washing machine will add color to the family, but it is slightly redundant.)

Despite the potential for detergent sales in rural areas, the future migration to urban communities and the idea of buying high-end goods will also lead to an increase in urban detergent sales.

As we all know, Chinese consumers pay great attention to commodity prices. When it comes to buying laundry soap, price remains the top driver of consumption. In order to win the hearts of Chinese consumers (and the yuan), multinational FMCG giants such as Unilever and Procter & Gamble have set up new brands to compete, even though their products have filled China's supermarket shelves. Although their market share has increased significantly, it is still significantly lower than that of local competitors Libai Group and Naais Group, which had a market share of about 19% in 2011.

However, washing products are only one of the indicators detailed in the report, revealing a significant increase in household products as a whole. Mintel and The Economist Intelligence Unit believe this is one of the few indicators that can reflect the economic growth rate in the next three years. Similarly, suppliers have also noticed that these untapped markets have great potential, such as air fresheners and household vacuum cleaners.