Bolton evolves bathroom care with the Wc Net brand

Bolton sees the changing relationship between consumers and the home as one of the main drivers shaping the evolution of home care. The home is no longer merely a functional space, but an extension of personal identity, expressed through furnishings, objects and also the everyday care of living spaces.

Cleaning efficacy remains a prerequisite, but today consumers are looking for products that can simplify routines, offer a more pleasant user experience and fit into a more contemporary way of living in the home. We discussed this transformation and the strategy with which the brand Wc Net is redefining the category’s codes with Paola Saccone, Bolton category marketing manager, home care.

How is the perception of the bathroom changing in Italy?

Home care is no longer a category driven solely by functionality, but by a combination of efficacy, convenience and a pleasant user experience. In the toilet care segment, this change is even more evident, because the bathroom is increasingly perceived less as a purely service area and more as a room in the home to be enjoyed, linked to everyday wellbeing and self-expression. This is why we are seeing consumers increasingly seek products that deliver high performance, but also offer a more pleasant experience, formulas perceived as less harsh and a more contemporary narrative. Consumers are no longer simply buying a toilet cleaner: they are looking for a solution that fits with a new way of living in the bathroom.

What have been the main growth drivers for the category in recent years?

The new role that the bathroom plays in people’s lives and the new relationship with toilet care mean that consumers, who now consider efficacy an essential prerequisite, are looking for something more: products that simplify cleaning routines, reducing time and effort, while also making the experience more pleasant and sensorially rewarding through fragrances, textures and formats capable of enhancing the act of cleaning itself. If we look at more advanced markets, such as the UK and Germany, which have historically anticipated European trends, we find confirmation of this trend: Mintel highlights a clear opportunity to leverage sensory appeal and aesthetics to transform modern cleaning routines into satisfying moments. There is also an increasingly strategic element: packaging designof consumers in Germany say that pack design is decisive in attracting attention on the shelf. For younger generations, modern, visually appealing packaging that can integrate with home décor is not merely an aesthetic detail: it is a fundamental driver of long-term brand loyalty. 43%

How does Bolton’s R&&D work to meet consumer needs?

&D&is the engine behind every innovation we bring to market. The innovation process always starts with a challenge: consumers, trends and signals coming from the market. We systematically combine these with technical opportunities, both those from within our laboratories and those coming from suppliers and research institutes with which we collaborate. From there we move on to actual development: prototyping, technical and sensory testing, and validation with consumers. We then work with production facilities to reach industrialisation and the market launch phase. This approach allows us to turn real and emerging needs into concrete, relevant and credible solutions.

In 2025 the brand launched its latest innovation: Wc Net Carbon Active, the first Wc Net gel with activated carbon on the market. How and why did this new product come about?

With Wc Net we are bringing to market a brand narrative that responds to the new role consumers assign to the bathroom in their lives. We have done this by breaking category codes, including in terms of the product itself, to strengthen the emotional bond with existing consumers and recruit new ones in a category with lower penetration than the home care average. The ultimate goal is always the same: to transform the bathroom into a space to live in and enjoy, thanks to products that elevate the cleaning experience, making it more effective, effortless and, above all, more pleasant, during and after use. It is with this vision that Wc Net Carbon Active Gel: a concrete response to the growing demand for products that are effective, but also more modern and less harsh. A product that guarantees deep cleaning, an immediate whitening effect without bleach, and odour control, thanks to a key ingredient: activated carbon, a microporous powder with extraordinary adsorbent properties, capable of efficiently capturing dirt and unpleasant odours. To complete the experience, a pleasant fragrance and an innovative dark grey texture make the act of cleaning visually and sensorially unique.

Have you launched other products along the same lines?

The launch of Wc Net Brilliant Gelfollows the same direction: the perfect blend of efficacy and sensory appeal. A formula enriched with mineral crystals that provides immediate hygiene and shine, combined with sophisticated fragrances that further enhance the user experience. Carbon Active and Brilliant represent two complementary interpretations of the same vision: breaking the traditional codes of toilet cleaning, elevating it with new standards of performance and sensory appeal. Two products different in style, identical in ambition.

The brand’s philosophy is now based on an ambitious vision: transforming the bathroom from a simple functional space into a “room to live in”, a place of wellbeing and self-expression. Does the new positioning also have implications for how the category is displayed and communicated in-store?

WC Net created the category almost sixty years ago, and today we are transforming it once again. The brand is evolving based on deep insights into consumers’ new needs and how the role of the bathroom is changing in people’s lives: from a simple functional space to a place of wellbeing, care and self-expression. Innovation is our driving force: from new formulas with activated carbonor with mineral crystals, to bolder visual codes, every choice reflects our ambition to redefine the category’s standards. But such an ambitious vision requires consistency across all touchpoints. Integrated communication is a fundamental pillar for us: every message, every visual code and every point of contact with consumers must tell the same story with the same strength. And within this ecosystem, the point of sale plays an absolutely crucial role.

How?

It is at the point of sale that consumers physically encounter the product for the first time; it is there that impressions are formed, innovation is perceived and the purchase decision is made. The shelf and the point of sale are a means of communication. That is why we have developed an integrated in-store activation system designed to celebrate our innovations through impactful displays and bespoke materials capable of capturing attention, telling the product story and conveying the brand’s evolved identity in-store.

It is a process of continuous transformation, supported by strong investment and a truly integrated approach: from formula to pack, from communication to the point of sale, propelling us towards a new era for the brand and the market.

How is a new product actually developed at Bolton Home Care? How important are listening to consumers and market research?

The starting point is always listening to consumers. Through qualitative and quantitative research, analysis of international trends and continuous monitoring of the most advanced markets, we build a clear picture of how consumer needs are evolving: we do not merely take a snapshot of the present, but seek to anticipate where the market is heading. These insights give rise to innovation concepts, developed together with the R&&D team, with careful consideration also given to the evolution of domestic spaces: technologies, materials, surfaces and furnishing trends, because the products we bring to market must be effective and fully compatible with modern homes and their new usage contexts. The ideas are then tested with consumers: only those that receive a positive and relevant response become the basis for developing formulas and packaging.

What happens after consumer testing?

From there, the work moves into the laboratory and ultimately to our plant in Nova Milanese, where the product is industrialised and taken through all the stages up to its market launch. It is a rigorous process in which nothing is left to chance: every choice, from formula to pack, from name to communication, must respond to a real need and create an experience that consumers perceive as genuinely superior. Because our goal is not merely to bring technically valid products to market, but solutions that people choose, enjoy using and continue to seek out.

How are products developed in Italy adapted for international markets?

The brand strategy we are building has a clearly global vocation: we want Wc Net to develop consistently in all the markets where it is present, with a recognisable identity and a single, unified value proposition. At the same time, we know that global does not mean uniform. The development process starts with this awareness: the research underpinning innovation involves consumers who are as representative as possible, precisely because the products we develop must work, resonate and be relevant in countries with different cultures, habits and expectations. The work carried out in Italy is adapted to local specificities: cleaning habits and frequencies, surface materials, olfactory preferences and sensory expectations, which vary significantly from market to market.

Do you notice differences between Italian and foreign consumers in the way they care for their homes?

In some countries, fragrance is a primary purchase driver; in others, consumers prioritise a formula perceived as powerful and effective; elsewhere, sustainability and the gentleness of the ingredients are decisive factors. We therefore adapt our portfolio and offering to different market specificities, shaping our proposition around what is most relevant to that consumer in that context. Our approach, therefore, is to work on a common platform, strong in its identity and technology, and then intelligently adapt it to individual markets: a balance that allows us to be relevant everywhere without losing brand consistency.

How is the bathroom segment performing in Italy, and what is the weight of the Wc Net brand in the category?

In 2025, the toilet care market in Italy recorded value growth of +1,4%. In the first half of 2026, amid a more complex socioeconomic and geopolitical context, the toilet care market recorded a slight contraction. In this scenario, however, Wc Net continues to grow, confirming the brand’s strength and solidity in the category. The figures are extremely positive: Wc Net is growing in every segment in which it competes and we are consistently above 50% of value market share in the gel segment, our core business – 53,6% year to date to June – up by almost 3 percentage points compared with the same period of the previous year (source: Circana, total Italy, including discount, online and offline). This is an even more significant result when viewed in the context of a slightly declining market. For us, it is a sign that the path we have embarked on is generating concrete, measurable results. Product innovation, integrated communication and brand strategy are working synergistically, further strengthening the position of Wc Net and supporting the brand’s growth, especially when the market is less favourable.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.