FASS confirms its participation at PLMA 2026, the international event dedicated to the Private Label industry, taking place in Amsterdam on May 19–20.
You will find us at Hall 13 – Stand 13.F10, where we will present a preview of our new corporate communication.
We invite all industry professionals to visit us and discover our company and production approach firsthand.
We look forward to seeing you in Amsterdam.
This year, FASS will once again be present at Ambiente 2026, the leading international trade fair for household goods and homewares, which will be held in Frankfurt from February 6 to 10.
We will be located in Hall 9.2, Stand C89, where we will present our new corporate communication and a renovation of our stand.
See you in Frankfurt!
In recent years, the presence of pets in households has increased significantly, reshaping everyday habits and the way domestic spaces are managed. Within this context, FASS is developing a new Pet line designed to address increasingly common needs: the effective removal of pet hair, crumbs, and small debris such as food residues and litter.
The first product in the range is the Mop Pet, featuring Flock technology: a 100% polyamide three-dimensional application that acts like a true magnet, effectively capturing solid particles and enabling faster, more precise cleaning.
This innovation is combined with an exclusive themed design, developed to ensure immediate product recognition and to prevent cross-use with other cleaning tools. This design choice supports higher levels of hygiene and helps reduce cross-contamination between different areas of the home, reflecting the growing focus on these aspects.
The project is part of a rapidly expanding market: the global Pet Care industry has already surpassed $270 billion and continues to show strong growth rates, confirming the increasing demand for more specialized and high-performance solutions.
The line is currently evolving, with additional products under development, in line with a market that increasingly values specialization and completeness.
FASS confirms its participation in Marca 2026, Italy’s leading trade fair dedicated to the Private Label sector, which will take place in Bologna on January 14–15.
We will be located in Hall 30, Stand E3, where we will preview our new corporate communication.
We invite all partners and industry professionals to visit us and discover more about our company.
We look forward to seeing you at Marca 2026!
As shared on our social media channels, we recently completed the renovation of our employee facilities, including new staff dining areas. This project forms part of FASS’s preparations for IFS HPC certification, one of the leading international standards for the household and personal care industry.
The upgrades are among the requirements set out by the certification process, which places increasing emphasis on operational control and process management. Over the coming months, additional measures will be introduced to further strengthen contamination prevention and production environment management. These will include the use of dedicated protective equipment, such as hairnets, as well as more structured monitoring procedures and operational protocols.
IFS HPC (International Featured Standards – Household and Personal Care Products) is an internationally recognised standard that assesses the safety and quality of household and personal care products.
The standard establishes requirements covering quality management, production controls, workplace conditions, material traceability, and contamination prevention. Its objective is to ensure that manufacturing processes are managed according to robust, transparent, and internationally recognised procedures.
When discussing product safety and contamination prevention, attention is often focused on the food sector. However, high standards of control are becoming increasingly important within the household cleaning industry as well.
In retail distribution centres, different product categories frequently share the same logistics infrastructure. Food products, detergents, and household goods are often stored and handled within the same facilities. As a result, manufacturers must implement rigorous production controls to minimise the risk of physical, chemical, or environmental contamination.
IFS HPC certification demonstrates an organisation’s ability to manage every stage of production according to clearly defined and verifiable procedures. As a result, it has become an increasingly important requirement for major retailers and international markets.
Compared with the 1980s, the relationship between consumers and packaging has undergone a radical transformation, turning what was once a simple protective wrapper into a fully-fledged marketing tool, essential for communicating brand messages and values.
Looking at the period following the economic boom of the 1970s, consumers were drawn to brightly coloured packaging, innovative materials (such as disposable plastics), and designs that conveyed the promise of a dynamic and modern lifestyle. Today, however, modern consumers are more environmentally conscious, informed, and demanding. The evolution of packaging within the cleaning sector is therefore driven by the need to combine ease of use with a lower environmental impact. To illustrate this transformation, let us take a specific product category as an example: brooms.
In the past, packaging primarily consisted of plastic wrapping characterised by a minimal design approach, centred around the brand’s established logo and textual descriptions of the product components. To attract consumers of the time, packaging was significantly more voluminous and featured extremely vibrant colours with a strong visual impact.
The focus was placed almost exclusively on aesthetics and immediate visibility, frequently relying on slogans, guarantees, and bold or highlighted text to maximise brand appeal and emphasise the product’s key features.
The fundamental difference between past and contemporary packaging lies in the strong focus on sustainability and the technical characteristics of the product.
Today, colour palettes have shifted towards neutral and reassuring tones, supported by minimalist graphic design. This evolution is not merely aesthetic but responds to specific logistical strategies: eliminating unnecessary secondary packaging optimises storage and transportation while also reducing the environmental footprint of distribution.
In addition to being less bulky, current packaging solutions increasingly favour cardboard or recycled paper, proudly displaying environmental and process certifications that demonstrate the responsibility and transparency of the production chain.
From a communication perspective, the emphasis has shifted towards highlighting distinctive product features, often supported by images of the product placed within realistic domestic environments. This approach helps consumers relate to the product and immediately understand its practical use.
Finally, the integration of QR codes on the back of packaging acts as a bridge towards digital content, providing further information ranging from correct recycling guidelines to the core values of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
Consumer needs and expectations have undergone a profound transformation as a result of globalisation and the digitalisation of markets, requiring companies to renew and adapt their communication channels.
While in the past the priority was achieving immediate visibility on store shelves, today’s highly competitive environment requires brands to build a strong reputation based on credibility and trust.
This transition has led to the development of increasingly advanced packaging solutions: no longer simple containers, but strategic storytelling tools capable of communicating brand identity through the selection of consistent materials and the enhancement of the elements that make each product unique.
Returning from the summer holidays often marks a delicate moment of transition. Although household cleaning may seem like a tiring task, it can actually be a valuable opportunity for a fresh start.
Getting back to everyday life does not have to feel like a burden. Taking care of your home is a simple way to reconnect with your surroundings and restore a sense of calm. Cleaning the spaces we live in every day can help us feel more comfortable and ready for the season ahead.
Tidying up our home therefore goes beyond hygiene. It can also help clear our minds, reduce stress, and give us a greater sense of control over our daily lives.
The connection between our surroundings and our well-being is supported by recent research. An article published by Forbes on May 7, 2026, explored the strong link between mental health and the way we keep our homes, with insights from experts in the field.
“The state of our physical space can be a reflection of our mental state,” says Natalie Christine Dattilo, a clinical and health psychologist in Boston and lecturer at Harvard Medical School. “So, when we look around and see our physical space as cluttered, crowded, and disorganized, we may begin to feel disorganized and overwhelmed internally as well.”
Recent research shows that people who see their homes as cluttered tend to report lower levels of well-being and life satisfaction, as well as higher levels of stress and negative emotions. Cluttered environments have also been linked to reduced concentration and unhealthy eating habits.
Clutter can also affect our social lives. According to the survey mentioned above, 74% of respondents experience stress or anxiety when faced with clutter, while 32% avoid inviting guests into their homes because they feel embarrassed. For 26% of participants, clutter also has a negative impact on their relationships with others.
In conclusion, doing the cleaning after the summer holidays is not simply a chore. It can be a conscious way to start the new season with greater clarity and a more positive mindset. Turning a cluttered home into an organized space can be a simple way to take care of ourselves and create a better environment for the days ahead.
The relationship between companies and education develops over time through collaborations and targeted initiatives that address different needs depending on the context.
For Fass, this commitment has translated in recent years into a series of initiatives involving schools and universities, with the aim of contributing to the quality of educational and training pathways for younger generations in our local communities and beyond.
These initiatives are distinct, yet share a common goal: supporting teaching activities, hands-on learning experiences, and opportunities for direct engagement with the world of work.
Support for the Albareto school
In Albareto, a small municipality in the province of Parma with just over 2,000 inhabitants, the nursery school is a small but essential educational institution: around thirty children, a single class group, and daily activities shaped by the joint effort of educators and the local community.
Fass has chosen to support this school through the provision of cleaning products—essential tools to ensure the care and quality of educational spaces. A practical contribution that supports the school’s everyday needs.
“Francesco Ferrucci” Comprehensive Institute in Larciano
In Larciano, the collaboration with the “Francesco Ferrucci” Comprehensive Institute is structured around two complementary initiatives: creative and educational.
On one side, an art workshop provides students with a space for expression while also exploring the industrial history of their territory, as already described in our blog article “School, territory and art: an educational project at the Ferrucci Institute”. On the other, funding for an English language course introduces a broader perspective, opening students to wider horizons and new contexts.
Two distinct initiatives, both grounded in the idea that school is not only about passing on knowledge, but also about building tools for the future.
University of Florence and the “Giotto” project
The transition to university naturally changes the level of engagement, but not the direction.
Through participation in the “Giotto – Giovani Talenti Toscani” project at the University of Florence, Fass engages in an environment focused on the relationship between education and work. The programme connects students and companies, creating opportunities for direct exchange and dialogue.
“Fermi” Institute and STEM competition
From 5 to 9 May, the “Sì… Geniale!” exhibition and competition took place, an initiative dedicated to showcasing ideas and projects developed by students from local schools.
Among the participants, a third-year class from the computer science track of the Fedi Fermi Institute in Pistoia presented a prototype of an electronic safe.
Fass supported this initiative by contributing to the purchase of some of the materials needed to build the prototype and by supporting the creation of T-shirts for the class, designed to strengthen group identity and cohesion during the presentation of the project.
Work-based learning and training pathways
Finally, there is a constant dimension in Fass’s current activities: work-based learning programmes.
Through collaborations with different schools, students have the opportunity to enter the company, observe, participate, and gain insight into real processes. It is often their first direct experience of the industrial world, moving beyond simulation and closer to operational reality.
A continuous commitment to education
Taken together, these initiatives reflect a broader approach based on continuity and adaptability across different educational contexts.
From early childhood education to university, Fass contributes through targeted actions aimed at supporting educational activities and fostering dialogue between the world of education and the world of industry.
In modern retail, the term Private Label (PL), or store brand, refers to a product marketed under the name of a supermarket chain, retail group, or proprietary brand, but manufactured by a specialized producer.
For companies like Fass, which operate as industrial partners for large-scale retail chains and international brands in the home cleaning sector, Private Label is a well-established model of collaboration. In this framework, value lies in the ability to translate market needs into reliable, scalable production solutions.
In recent years, Private Label has become a strategic component of many retailers’ offerings. It is no longer simply a lower-cost alternative to branded goods, but a tool for positioning and customer loyalty.
A fast-growing market
In Italy, the penetration of Private Label products has grown steadily over the past few years.
According to industry analyses, as reported by Valerio De Molli, Managing Partner and CEO of The European House – Ambrosetti and TEHA Group, the total value of store-brand products exceeded €31 billion in 2025, accounting for roughly 30% of the fast-moving consumer goods market.
Just a few years earlier, the market was significantly smaller: in 2024, Private Label sales were worth around €26 billion, with a share close to 32% within large-scale retail.
If all these sales were attributed to a single company, it would rank among the largest industrial players in the country by revenue.
Despite this growth, Italy still lags behind other European markets, where Private Label can account for 40–50% of total market share. This makes it one of the most dynamic segments within modern retail.
The role of the manufacturer
Behind every Private Label product is a manufacturing company providing technical expertise and production capacity.
The manufacturer’s role goes beyond simply making the product. At Fass, for example, this means contributing across multiple stages of the process, supported by in-house production management and strong vertical integration. This approach ensures greater control over quality, lead times, and consistency of the finished product.
In many cases, the relationship between retailer and manufacturer evolves into a strategic partnership, combining industrial know-how with market and consumer insight.
How a Private Label product is developed
The creation of a Private Label product typically follows several key stages:
An increasingly widespread model
Today, Private Label is a well-established model across multiple sectors, from food to home care and personal care.
Industrial paths such as that of Fass demonstrate how collaboration between retailers and manufacturers can evolve into structured, long-term partnerships capable of supporting the development of reliable product ranges aligned with brand strategies.
In recent years, the very concept of home cleaning has changed. It is no longer just about “removing dirt,” but about doing so in a way that is mindful and aligned with increasingly shared values such as sustainability and material quality. This shift affects not only cleaning agents, but also cleaning tools—such as brooms, mops, and accessories—which remain essential in everyday household routines.
Today, consumers no longer purchase out of habit.
A More Conscious Consumer, Even in Everyday Choices
Growing awareness of what enters the home is confirmed by several studies. According to the Consumer Research Report 2025 by A.I.S.E. (International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products), based on over 4,600 interviews across 23 European countries, consumers increasingly associate cleaning products with concepts such as safety, proper use, and sustainability. They also express a clear need for transparent and easy-to-understand information about the products they buy.
This demand for transparency is not limited to chemical products like degreasers and detergents. Tools such as brooms and mops are also evaluated based on ease of use, materials, durability, and environmental impact.
In Italy, this trend is particularly evident. According to a study on household hygiene habits published by Germo, 66% of Italians say they always read product information before purchasing cleaning products, while 74% consider clear and understandable instructions essential. This reflects a more attentive and responsible approach that extends to the entire cleaning experience, not just the final product.
Despite technological advancements and the spread of electric devices, brooms and mops remain indispensable in households—and the data confirms it.
According to the Household Cleaning Tools Market Report 2025 by Global Growth Insights, the global market for brooms and mops has reached an estimated value of $27.33 billion, with a projected annual growth rate of 7.1%. This represents a significant share of the home cleaning market, demonstrating that these tools are far from outdated—they are simply evolving.
What is changing is not their function, but the standards expected of them. The same report highlights how an increasing share of purchasing decisions is influenced by factors such as ergonomics, materials, and user comfort—elements that were considered secondary until a few years ago.
Ergonomics and Comfort: Less Effort, Greater Efficiency
Cleaning is a repetitive and often physically demanding activity. It is therefore no surprise that consumers are seeking tools that make this task easier.
According to Global Growth Insights, around 41% of purchasing decisions in the manual tools segment are influenced by ergonomic features, such as more comfortable handles, more efficient wringing systems, or designs that reduce physical strain. Similarly, the use of materials such as microfiber in mops now accounts for approximately 38% of the market, thanks to their ability to improve cleaning performance while reducing the time required.
Sustainability
Sustainability has become a concrete evaluation parameter. In the cleaning tools sector, this translates into a focus on materials and durability.
According to the Manual Cleaning Products Market Report 2024 by Global Growth Insights, around 49% of European consumers prefer tools made from sustainable or recyclable materials. Globally, the percentage of consumers expressing a preference for eco-friendly products exceeds 70%, as highlighted by the Worldwide Mops and Brooms Market Report 2024 by PMarketResearch.
An Everyday Task That Requires New Standards
Another relevant insight comes from the Dyson Global Wet Cleaning Study 2025, which shows that 66% of Italians still use traditional manual tools for floor cleaning, spending on average more than two hours per week on household care.
This confirms that brooms and mops remain central in daily life, but also highlights the importance of improving their efficiency, environmental impact, comfort, and durability—especially given how frequently they are used.
