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Stretching Sales



with the focus clearly on fit, the nonwovens industry adds more elastics to give hygiene producers what they want



By Karen Bitz McIntyre
Editor




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Stretch is nothing new to the hygiene market. Makers of diapers and their suppliers have been using spandex threads and other means for years to provide a better, more comfortable fit in their products. In the past couple of years, however, a new crop of stretchable options has emerged, resulting in diapers that easily combine stretch with breathability, performance, aesthetics and many other concerns at an affordable pricing point.

It was only about four years ago Advance Design Concepts, then a joint venture between BBA and Dow, launched the technology behind a product that was being billed as the first truly stretchable nonwoven. Fast forward a few years and companies have their pick of technologies when determining how to incorporate more stretch into the design of their diapers and other hygiene products.

The year 2007 alone saw the launch of stretchable nonwovens from DuPont Nonwovens, Ahlstrom and Invista as well as increased offerings from film makers such as Pliant, Tredegar and Clopay.

According to industry observers, the increased use of stretchable tabs and panels in diapers is in sync with the market’s quest to create products more similar to regular underpants. Recent upgrades from most major diaper suppliers—both at the national level and among store brands—almost all have to do with stretch. In mid-2006, Kimberly-Clark upgraded its Huggies Supreme line, now called Natural Fit. The new premium products have a stretchable panel across their entire backsheet for the utmost in fit performance. Meanwhile, K-C competitor Procter & Gamble has made upgrades, in the form of stretchability, across its entire baby line. At the premium level, Pampers Cruisers contains accordion-style stretchable tabs, a feature widely replicated in the private label arena. In its Pampers Baby Dry line, P&G recently added the “caterpillar stretch” innovation, allowing the diaper to stretch and expand with a baby’s movement. Additionally, in its value Luvs brand, P&G added “Bear Hug” stretch to improve the fit of these diapers.