Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Sales of sanitary protection products stagnate
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- Figure 1: MULO sales of sanitary protection products, 2010-20
- More women experience bladder issues than use incontinence-specific products
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- Figure 2: Bladder leakage experience, January 2016
- Concerns over the safety of feminine care products
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- Figure 3: Attitudes toward sanitary protection and feminine hygiene products, January 2016
- The opportunities
- Adult incontinence products have an opportunity to target younger women
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- Figure 4: Agreement incontinence products are not for someone my age, by age, January 2016
- Bladder support products offer women additional bladder control options
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- Figure 5: Interest in trying a bladder support product, by age, incontinence product user, and bladder leakage experience, January 2016
- Opportunity to improve communication about feminine hygiene products
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- Figure 6: Feminine hygiene product use, January 2016
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Feminine care market sustains steady increases
- Market growth is driven by adult incontinence products
- Contraceptive and soap/bodywash use impacts feminine care market
- The female population, race, and birthrates influence the market
Market Size and Forecast
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- Feminine care market maintains steady growth
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- Figure 7: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of feminine hygiene and sanitary protection products, at current prices, 2010-20
- Figure 8: Total US retail sales and forecast of feminine hygiene and sanitary protection products, at current prices, 2010-20
Market Breakdown
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- Market growth is fueled by adult incontinence products
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- Figure 9: Sales and forecast of feminine hygiene and sanitary protection products, by segment, 2010-20
- The majority of purchases are made at “other” retailers
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- Figure 10: Total US retail sales of feminine hygiene and sanitary protection products, by channel, at current prices, 2015
Market Perspective
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- Women’s contraceptive use impacts the feminine care market
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- Figure 11: Uses contraceptives for birth control, by female, April 2015
- Most women use regular soap, competing with feminine washes
Market Factors
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- Population of menstruating women stagnates; aging population grows
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- Figure 12: US female population, by age, 2011-21
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- Figure 13: US population among 65+ year old adults, 2011-21
- Change in racial/ethnic demographics impact on market
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- Figure 14: US female population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2011-21
- Birthrates starting to trend back up
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- Figure 15: US annual births, 2004-14
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Proctor & Gamble is the leader in feminine care
- Adult incontinence and feminine hygiene sales grow
- Sales of sanitary protection products remain nearly flat
- Safety concerns, taboos, taxes, and innovation shaking up the feminine care market
Manufacturer Sales of Feminine Hygiene and Sanitary Protection Products
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- Procter & Gamble takes top spot due to new incontinence line
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- Figure 16: MULO sales of feminine hygiene and sanitary protection products, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
What’s Working?
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- Adult incontinence products
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- Figure 17: Share of feminine care product launches, by subcategory, 2011-15
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- Figure 18: MULO sales of adult incontinence, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
- Feminine hygiene products have notable growth
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- Figure 19: Share of MULO sales of feminine hygiene, by overall categories, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
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- Figure 20: MULO sales of select feminine hygiene products, by leading brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
What’s Struggling?
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- Sales of pads and liners remains flat
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- Figure 21: MULO sales of sanitary napkins/liners, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
- Leading tampon brands experience minimal growth
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- Figure 22: MULO sales of tampons, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
What’s Next?
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- Amid concerns of safety The Honest Company joins the sanitary protection product market
- Take the taboo out of menstruation and incontinence
- Backlash over the “luxury” tax on feminine sanitary protection products
- Poise’s Impressa, an OTC bladder support, succeeding in the market
- Real underwear for periods and bladder leakage
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- More than half of women are currently menstruating
- Most women use sanitary protection products, some use feminine hygiene products
- Nearly half of women experience bladder leakage
- One quarter of women use incontinence products
- Feminine care products evoke specific needs
- Some women express concern with chemicals in sanitary protection products
- Women are receptive to the benefits of feminine hygiene products
- Incontinence products are easy to find; yet embarrassing to purchase
Menstruation Experience
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- More than half of women are currently menstruating
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- Figure 23: Menstruation experience, January 2016
- Age drives menstruation
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- Figure 24: Menstruation experience, by age, January 2016
- Hispanic women have the highest incidence of current menstruation
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- Figure 25: Menstruation experience, by Hispanic origin and race, January 2016
- Many who menstruate also experience bladder leakage
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- Figure 26: Bladder leakage experience, by women currently menstruating, January 2016
Sanitary Protection and Hygiene Product Use
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- Nearly three fourths of women are using sanitary protection products
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- Figure 27: Sanitary protection product use, January 2016
- Profile of sanitary protection product users
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- Figure 28: Sanitary protection product use, by age, Hispanic origin and race, and menstruation status, January 2016
- About two out of five women use a feminine hygiene product
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- Figure 29: Feminine hygiene product use, January 2016
- Profile of feminine hygiene product users
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- Figure 30: Feminine hygiene product use, by age, Hispanic origin and race, and product user type, January 2016
Bladder Leakage Experience
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- Nearly half of women experience bladder leakage
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- Figure 31: Bladder leakage experience, January 2016
- Age knows no boundaries for bladder leakage
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- Figure 32: Bladder leakage experience, by age, January 2016
- Moms are susceptible to bladder issues
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- Figure 33: Bladder leakage experience, by parental status, January 2016
- Hispanic women report experiencing bladder leakage most
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- Figure 34: Bladder leakage experience, by Hispanic origin and race, January 2016
Adult Incontinence Product Use
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- One quarter of women use incontinence products
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- Figure 35: Adult incontinence product use, January 2016
- Profile of adult incontinence product users
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- Figure 36: Adult incontinence product use, by age, Hispanic origin, race, number of children, and bladder leakage experience, January 2016
Feminine Care Product Usage Occasions
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- Feminine care products evoke specific needs
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- Figure 37: Correspondence Analysis, product usage occasions, January 2016
- Panty liners meet several needs
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- Figure 38: Panty liners product usage for menstruation occasions, by age, January 2016
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- Figure 39: Panty Liners product usage for other occasions, by age, menstruation experience, and bladder leakage experience, January 2016
- Sanitary pads are for heavy flow days and preparation
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- Figure 40: Sanitary pad product usage occasions, by currently menstruating and bladder leakage experience, January 2016
- Women use tampons when menstrual flow is heaviest
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- Figure 41: Tampon usage occasions, January 2016
- Feminine hygiene products considered part of a daily routine
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- Figure 42: Feminine hygiene product usage occasions, by all and currently menstruating, January 2016
- Incontinence products are for bladder leakage and used often
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- Figure 43: Incontinence product usage occasions, by age and bladder leakage experience, January 2016
Attitudes toward Sanitary Protection Products
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- Women purchase sanitary protection products on autopilot
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- Figure 44: Sanitary protection product brand attitudes, January 2016
- Health-conscious ingredients and materials have appeal
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- Figure 45: Agreement with attitudes toward sanitary protection product materials, January 2016
- Offer women choices
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- Figure 46: Agreement with attitudes toward sanitary protection product materials, by older Millennials, Hispanic origin, urban dweller, mothers of children under 18, January 2016
- Women aged 25-34 are most aware of the alternatives
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- Figure 47: Agreement with awareness of alternative sanitary protection product materials, by age, January 2016
Attitudes toward Feminine Hygiene Products
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- Women are receptive to the benefits of feminine hygiene products
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- Figure 48: Agreement with perceptions of feminine hygiene products, by age, Hispanic origin, January 2016
- Some concern does surround the safety of these products
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- Figure 49: Agreement with natural perceptions of feminine hygiene products, by age, January 2016
- Feminine hygiene products are easy for women to find
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- Figure 50: Agreement with locating feminine hygiene products, by age, January 2016
Attitudes toward Adult Incontinence Products
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- Incontinence products are easy to find; yet embarrassing to purchase
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- Figure 51: Agreement with locating incontinence products, by age and incontinence product users, January 2016
- For one third of women age impacts acceptability
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- Figure 52: Agreement incontinence products are not for someone my age, by age, January 2016
- Women are using sanitary protection products for bladder leakage
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- Figure 53: Agreement with incontinence products usage occasions, by product user and bladder leakage experience, January 2016
- Bladder support products have appeal
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- Figure 54: Interest in trying a bladder support product, by age, incontinence product user and bladder leakage experience, January 2016
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 55: Total US retail sales and forecast of feminine hygiene and sanitary protection products, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2010-20
- Figure 56: Total US retail sales and forecast of feminine hygiene and sanitary protection products, by segment, at current prices, 2010-20
- Figure 57: US female population, by age, 2011-21
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Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 58: MULO sales of feminine hygiene, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
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