ABSTRACT
during the inter-war years the nature of the soap market changed radically. Before the 1914–18 war the main product had been hard soap, accounting in 1913 (with the relatively unimportant soft soap) for nearly four-fifths of the weight of Lever’s production in the British Isles. Soap flakes and soap powders had been launched on the market, but had not yet captured much of it. 314 By the early 1920’s, however, hard and soft soap accounted for only about two-thirds by weight of Lever’s home output, due to the increase in the output of flakes, powders and scourers. The efficiency of the powders was greatly increased during the inter-war years and their output expanded to meet consumers’ demands for products which made washing easier; the output of hard soap was further reduced.
