P & G make both Ariel for European market and Tide for the North American market.

Since both Ariel and Tide belong to Proctor & Gamble...I assume ActiLift is the same technology (hence the identical name).

I think the difference is that Ariel in not available for NA, and Ariel with ActiLift comes both in a liquid and powder, where it seems that Tide with ActiLift is a liquid.

Persil is a "high end" detergent, and would be too expensive for the NA market!

I was under the impression that Persil was not that expensive in Germany. I think we pay such high prices for it here as it has to be imported.

I emailed Henkel Germany directly (recently) regarding distribution in Canada (Miele Canada no longer imports Persil as they have their own Miele Care line). They informed me that they do not market or ship directly to Canada therefore; anyone selling it here is getting it from a distributor (hence I would assume the higher cost).

My point was  if it truly is the best detergent ever  why would it not be marketed and sold worldwide?? Henkel has many other brands it sells worldwide in different categories  IÂm just curious what the reason is. Why they make brands like Purex or 20 Mule Team Borax for NA but not sell Persil here??

@larsi: Persil is only as "high end" in Germany as Tide is here. I believe it costs the same in Germany as Tide does in the US. The markup on imported Persil is ridiculous! It's either due to high prices charged by distributors or resellers have simply decided that's what consumers are willing to pay.

I was talking to some friends who said Ariel is available at some Home Depot stores. No idea which variety (assuming there's more than one of course) but I found that interesting. I don't frequent HD so I haven't personally seen it.

For those interested in Henkel's various products throughout the world and why they are sold in those countries, look here. A lot of the formulations are specific to the challenges in the regions where the products are sold, especially those in Africa. It's an interesting perspective.

Sshrivastava,

Being German, I can tell you that Persil is still considered a "high-end" brand in Germany (and all of Europe). You are very right though, that imported Persil to the USA and Canada is ridiculously priced. Persil in Germany is not a cheap as Tide or Cheer is, here in N.America though. Taken right from Henkel's website, they even call their Persil a "premium detergent":

"Our product developers again succeeded in significantly improving the performance of our European premium laundry detergents Persil, Le Chat, Dixan and Wipp".

It also depends on what store, and what part of Germany one shops in (sadly, East and West still vary in terms of value and pricing). I would say a comparable sized bottle of Tide in the USA would be about $6.50, where the Persil would be about $10.00 in Germany. So....Persil in Germany is SO, SO much cheaper than in the USA, but still not as affordable as Ariel, Dash, Aldi or Lina!

I have enough German Persil liquid and German Ariel Liquid to last me roughly a year (maybe more). I stocked up in June 2010, when I was in Germany & Sweden!! :)