We’ve recently wrapped up a busy week at the ISSA North America show in Chicago at McCormick Place, where we were pleased to see so many familiar faces. “There was a comfortable normalcy that had been missing for the past two years, as exhibitors and attendees greeted each other with hearty handshakes and maskless smiles,” said Laura Mahecha, Director of I&I Cleaning practice at Kline. Educational sessions and meetings took place alongside many intricate exhibitor booths and the innovation showcase.
Mahecha spoke about the “Outlook for I&I Cleaning Product Demand in a Post-Pandemic World” at a special workshop presented by HCPA and ISSA. She touched upon the cleaning and disinfection habits that are likely to stay, as well as transformational trends that are helping shape the “away from home” cleaning industry in the not-too-distant future. She also explained the growing role of sustainability in the industry along with end users’ views and perceptions of green cleaning products based on hot-off-the-press insights from our Janitorial and Housekeeping Cleaning Products USA study.
All these themes were also evident from the show floor as many manufacturers showcased touch-free and smart dispensers for hand care products, paper products, and even smart chemical dispensers. There was also an avalanche of green cleaning product alternatives, featuring plant-based ingredients and ultra-concentrated formulas that use less packaging, as well as some dispensers made from recycled ocean plastic. Robotics, IoT, smart connected dispensers, and QR codes that can be scanned by tablets or smartphones of cleaning staff were also on display.
| ECOClean Disinfectant Cleaner by Clorox | DMx Warewash Chemical Dispenser by Hydro Systems |
As staffing shortage continues to pose challenges for many professional end users, most innovations were geared toward helping streamline cleaning professionals’ jobs. Everything from labor-saving mops and floor-care machinery to software that helps the cleaning teams work more efficiently and multipurpose products that cut down on time needed to clean facilities were showcased at the show.
The safety, health, and hygiene of industrial and institutional buildings and their occupants also remain at the forefront of the industry’s product development and innovation. Although the added challenges of inflation, staff shortages, and the need to clean frequently pose hindrance, they also offer opportunities for the industry leaders. This challenging environment allows marketers to offer value-added solutions to customers and provide training, assistance with product selection/usage, signage, and tools for labor savings, while meeting environmental standards.
Our soon-to-be-published Janitorial and Housekeeping Cleaning Products USA study provides an in-depth assessment of the professional cleaning market by product, end use, supplier, and distribution channel. It looks at key changes, challenges, and business opportunities based on over 1,000 structured surveys of end-use decision-makers and in-depth interviews with suppliers and distributors.
