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The Hygiene Market



component suppliers are raising the bar on innovation while keeping



by Sandra Levy




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Walk into any store that sells baby diapers, adult incontinence and feminine hygiene products and you’ll see that manufacturers are jockeying to differentiate themselves with claims like thinner, more absorbent, softer, more comfortable, ecofriendly and skin-friendly items. This means manufacturers are piling the pressure on their suppliers—makers of tapes, closures, films, backsheet and topsheet material, superabsorbent polymers and elastics—to provide innovations while keeping a lid on costs.

Market data show that their efforts have paid off. The global hygiene market for diapers, adult incontinence items and sanitary protection devices continues to show healthy growth, topping $57.1 billion in 2008 and is estimated to swell to $69.1 billion in 2013, according to Euromonitor International.

Much of this market is dominated by Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark on the branded front and First Quality on the private label arena. These manufacturers depend on makers of various components to help them stand out in the marketplace. In recent years, it has been the activities of these companies that have led to more stretchable diapers, thinner sanitary pads and more comfortable items overall. At the same time, prices have by and large remained steady showing that component suppliers have successfullly added value without increasing price.