Green cleaning products in the red

NEW YORK — Market share for many environmentally friendly cleaning products has suffered in a tight economy, when consumers are more likely to choose products based on price.


Independent brands, such as Method and Seventh Generation, have held on to their sales. “The consumers for those brands are usually early adopters who have a higher income and are less likely to shop price,” one industry analyst said.


Category big guns pulled back advertising and saw market share slip further. Church & Dwight discontinued its Essentials green line altogether in the United States.