If you are searching for laundry detergent, chances are you are aware of the Tide brand.
There is no question that Tide is one of the leading manufacturers of laundry products.
Of course, along with being one of the leaders, Tide is also one of the most expensive.
The prices that Tide charges for its laundry products are sometimes more than double what other manufacturers charge.
This creates a real problem for some consumers as they wonder whether Tide is worth the money.
There are lots of great things about the Tide brand, and it may be the only detergent you can use, but let’s take a look at why Tide is so expensive.
Sometimes understanding how a company came up with its pricing can make it a bit easier to pay the prices at checkout.
Why Is Tide So Expensive (Top 10 Reasons)
1. Brand Name
Tide is a brand-name product.
When you look at all of the other names of products in the stores, you may recognize some, but chances are Tide will stand out as the one you know the most.
It has taken Tide a long time and a lot of money to establish itself as the leading name brand in the industry.
The Tide brand has built itself up as the most effective option for laundry detergent on the market.
Some companies will take a stand as being the cheapest or the most hypoallergenic.
Others will say that their stain removal capabilities are better.
However, Tide has worked tirelessly to establish itself as simply being high quality.
The packaging, marketing, and branding have all been done to present Tide as a superior tool for keeping your clothes clean.
However, the big thing about Tide and what sets it apart is that, in addition to appearing as though it is the best, Tide actually is quite effective.
The product works as advertised and has very few negative reviews from customers.
Considering the volume of this product that is sold, that is a rather impressive feat.
Overall, it’s important to remember that a brand-name product will not establish itself overnight.
Since this process takes both time and money, it will add to the cost of a product as well.
2. Number Of Options To Choose From
Have you looked at how much shelf space is taken up by the Tide brand in the stores?
This is not simply one detergent to choose from like some of the other options.
You will look at your store’s shelves and sometimes see that half of the entire shelf is covered with Tide.
This is because Tide offers more options to choose from than any other brand.
Those who have high-efficiency (or HE) machines will have Tide products that will help to ensure their machines work correctly.
In addition, Tide also offers both cold and hot water solutions.
If you like to separate your colors, there are options for whites and colors as well.
The bottom line is that, regardless of the type of laundry detergent you need to take care of your clothes properly, Tide will have a solution.
You will never need to change brands just because you need a new solution as Tide will have an option available.
In addition, Tide offers a variety of different mediums when it comes to the detergent itself.
Some people like powder, others use liquid, and some may find that the pods are the best choice.
Pods are great for when you are short on time, or you are traveling, and you just want something that you can throw in the washing machine.
The powder is popular for those who are looking to avoid stains on the laundry, and the liquid is the better overall solution.
Once you decide on the type of laundry detergent, you can also choose the container that you store it in.
Tide has smaller options for those doing laundry once a week and then large family-size dispensers for those who do laundry a few times a day.
The fact that Tide has so many options to choose from makes it a more expensive choice.
3. History In The Business
Tide is made by Proctor and Gamble.
This is a company that has not only been in the business for a long time, but they know how to dominate the industry.
The brands that Proctor and Gamble have brought to market all tend to have very similar characteristics to Tide.
Many of them are known for being a bit more expensive, yet they will also do a better job.
For instance, consider Pampers diapers.
The Pampers diapers are made by Proctor and Gamble.
They cost more than other diapers like Huggies, but if you ask most parents, they will tell you that the Pampers are better.
The material of the Pampers are better, they absorb quite a bit easier, and they almost never leak.
Just like the Tide brand, Pampers also offers several different options to choose from.
Depending on the age of your child and different developmental milestones, there will always be a Pampers product that will work for you.
Some other names by Proctor and Gamble that you will likely recognize include Gillette, Herbal Essence, Bounty, Dawn, Mr. Clean, Crest, and Olay.
As you can see, these are some very popular brand names, and Proctor and Gamble is a massive company.
Sometimes the fact that a company is so well established and has held its position in the market for so long makes it easier for people to purchase their product.
Since Tide is aware of this, they are able to charge a bit more and ensure that they get to hold their position in the market as both premium and a bit expensive.
4. Marketing
Tide spends a lot of money on marketing.
Have you ever watched a day of television and not seen a Tide commercial?
These commercials are everywhere, and Tide does the best they can to ensure that their marketing is interesting and relevant to their target market.
Sometimes Tide will focus on a busy mother or a kid that makes a mess of their clothes, but it’s always about the fact that Tide will solve the problem.
All of the characters in the commercials tend to have issues that Tide can easily solve.
Tide markets its products very cleverly, and they know how to grab the attention of customers.
Their branding with the bright orange bottle or box has always made them stand out as being different from other options as well.
The problem with the way that Tide uses marketing to compete with other brands is that it gets expensive.
The cost of doing commercials during the Super Bowl, sending flyers and coupons, or doing digital ads will add up very quickly for a large company like this.
Of course, the issue with marketing so much is that eventually, those costs need to be recovered.
Tide is not going to spend millions on advertising and then not make up for that money when they sell you a product.
Therefore, when you pay for a Tide product, you are going to end up also covering a bit of the cost of marketing.
There is not much that can be done about this as a consumer.
In fact, many consumers get rather frustrated when they are constantly exposed to marketing and advertising.
Since you know that these ads are making your product more expensive, it’s hard to sit there and really enjoy watching a Tide commercial.
Chances are you will take a cheaper bottle of Tide over a commercial any day.
5. Less Is More
When you do some research about why Tide is so expensive, there is a large group of customers that will tell you Tide is really not more expensive.
This is because when you purchase laundry detergent, you need to look at the number of loads per container.
Tide is undoubtedly more concentrated than other brands.
This means that you only have to use a very small amount of Tide to be able to get your clothes clean.
In fact, if Tide tells you that you should fill the line up to the one or a two on the cup and you do so, it will work to clean your clothes.
With cheaper brands or knock-off brands, you can sometimes feel as though you are pouring buckets full of detergent into your washer, and it is still not working to clean the clothes.
The next time you shop for laundry detergent, take a bit more time to examine the products that are being offered.
See if you can find something that looks as though it will give you the greatest number of loads for the best price.
Chances are you will see that some of the smaller containers of Tide will offer more loads than a huge container from a cheap company.
This, of course, brings up the concept of value over price.
When you can use less of a product and still get the same results, that product has a very good value.
If you are trying to make smart purchases and pay attention to things like value, the Tide brand is a perfect option to consider.
Just because you are getting less of a solution for more money does not mean that the product is going to run out sooner.
Take your time when shopping for laundry detergent and find a product that has the best value.
Most will agree that it will probably be the Tide brand.
6. Necessary Item
Tide is a necessary product.
Without laundry detergent, your laundry room is going to be a mess.
Most of the people to whom Tide markets are families with several children.
If you have children, you know how quickly laundry will pile up.
Even for a small family of four people, there will be numerous loads of laundry that need to be washed every week.
For families of six or more, there will be enough laundry to do one and sometimes two loads a day.
When you add in a climate like winter months with extra sweaters or warm months with bathing suits and extra changes of clothes, there is a lot of laundry to be done.
In general, people often struggle to keep up with laundry.
It is something that seems to hang over your head.
In addition, as soon as you are done with laundry, there is already more to be washed.
It truly is a never-ending project.
Therefore, Tide becomes an essential part of everyday family life.
People have no choice about whether or not they can use Tide because they have to purchase it to be able to properly tend to the needs of their family and the laundry.
Items that people need tend to be expensive because the company knows that they have you in the right position.
They know that you won’t have many other choices, and even if their product is more expensive, at the end of the day, you are still going to need it.
You may put off buying Tide until you are completely out of the product, but in the end, you will likely still end up making the purchase.
7. Stain Removal
We have mentioned that Tide works quite well when it comes to keeping your clothes clean.
However, how does it do with stains?
Stains are annoying, and they are happening almost constantly.
One of the jobs of a great detergent is to preserve our clothes.
People pay a lot of money for clothes, and when you can’t take care of them with the detergent you use, it can get quite frustrating.
Tide does a tremendous job of getting rid of stains.
One of the things that Tide likes to pride itself on is that it can get stains out, without you having to treat the stain separately.
This is an excellent option for those who tend to get messy at work or have kids who spill food or other substances on their clothes.
If you had to sit there all afternoon and spot clean all of the stains on your family’s clothing, it would probably be a full-time job.
However, this is not the case with Tide.
Most of the time, you can simply put the clothes in for a regular wash, and they will come out stain-free.
Of course, there are some exceptions to this with tougher stains, but for the most part, Tide works very well to keep stains away from your clothes.
8. It Works
Although this may not seem like one of the major reasons the product is expensive, effectiveness causes the pricing to go up.
We assume, as customers, if we are purchasing a product to clean our clothes, it will do a great job of cleaning our clothes.
Unfortunately, this is not the reality.
Many companies put out a product that is just not that effective at cleaning.
You may have to put your clothes through three or four washes to see them looking and smelling better.
Tide is constantly working on its formulas and chemistry.
They want to ensure that they remain the top producer of quality laundry detergent.
This process is expensive, but it will benefit you as a customer.
Without the effectiveness of a product, there is really no sense in purchasing it.
As customers, when you purchase a product, that product should do the job that it was advertised to do.
With Tide, this is undoubtedly the case, and it is also why Tide is more expensive.
The formula does a much better job of keeping the laundry clean, and therefore, this is why you will be hunting for coupons the next time you need to purchase Tide.
9. Making Homemade Is Inconvenient
Have you ever thought about what alternatives you have when it comes to purchasing laundry detergent?
Chances are this thought has come to your mind once or twice.
It’s only natural to consider ways that you may be able to save some money.
The most practical way would be to make your own laundry detergent.
There is no question that this will save you some money, but don’t trick yourself into thinking that you can make Tide in your own kitchen.
Tide has a specialized formula that is made only in their factory.
You won’t have access to the same ingredients, and this is not a product you can recreate at home.
You can put together your own formula for laundry detergent, but it will require purchasing a number of different ingredients and then trying to get them all to work together.
The process is difficult, and it is time-consuming.
Most people who have several loads of laundry sitting in front of them are not going to want to start making their own laundry detergent.
Therefore, you start to realize that Tide is really your most convenient option.
If you want to get your laundry done quickly and without wasting your time, you can simply pour Tide in and walk away.
10. All-Around Laundry Solution
Last but certainly not least, Tide is expensive because they have established themselves as an all-around laundry solution.
Not only does Tide make a variety of detergents, but they also have fabric care and stain removal products.
If you find that you have a spot stain on your carpet or couch, Tide offers a product to help.
In addition, they offer an entire line of cleaning products for your washing machine.
Sometimes if your laundry room does not have the proper ventilation or the machine has a ring around it that holds moisture, your washing machine will start to smell.
Tide offers products that you simply pour into your washing machine, and it will completely clean it.
These products are effective, and they do a great job of ensuring the machine works well and stays in great shape for years to come.
People have begun to trust Tide as being the leader in all things related to laundry.
Of course, this means that when they need other products for their laundry or laundry room, the Tide brand is always right there with the answer.
Having a company that is a complete solution and allows people to stay brand loyal is also going to increase the pricing that you pay.
As you can see, there is really no questioning the fact that Tide is a more expensive brand.
The entire equation needs to be broken down a bit more, though, so you can understand the value.
The Tide products work, they require less of the solution, and they may even allow you to get away with shorter wash cycles.
With how busy life can be, it pays to use a time-saving and effective quality detergent.
In the end, most customers admit they are very happy with the Tide products.
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