Mintel last reported on the market for disposable nappies and baby wipes in early 2004. In the intervening two years, overall sales have advanced by 4.5% to reach £514 million. In 2005, however, the two sectors began to follow divergent paths. Sales of nappies increased by 1.1% to reach £376 million, benefiting from an upturn in live births during 2003 and 2004 and a trend towards the more widespread use of trainer pants which command a higher price per unit than standard nappies.

At the same time, the baby wipes sector appears to have approached saturation point. The introduction of toddler wipes has succeeded in keeping users involved in the market for longer, but has failed to compensate for the impact of discounting and the increased sale of multipacks. Sales of wipes declined by 0.7% in 2005 to stand at £138 million.