The Rise in Premium Organic Sanitary Protection Brands in the US

Growth in number of premium organic products entering the market in recent years

The US sanitary protection market has seen numerous brands come on the market recently offering sanitary protection products made with organic ingredients. While Seventh Generation has been in the organic feminine care space for over a decade, smaller start-ups have been popping up in the past few years, aiming to disrupt the feminine care market.

Recent consumer trends enabling and driving development

The rise of premium organic sanitary protection companies has been influenced and aided by several consumer trends that are present in other industries, such as transparency in ingredients, convenience, customisation, and social impact. Companies in the premium organic sanitary protection space have responded by developing products with 100% organic cotton and listing ingredients on the box, utilising at-home delivery through a personalised subscription service, and partnering with charitable organisations.

Offering premium products at a premium price

The value-added benefits of these premium products all come with a higher price tag. Most premium organic sanitary protection products have a unit price that is double or even three times as high as conventional brands. This limits the consumer base and the possibility of expansion into other markets with smaller populations of high-income women.

Far from impacting sales of mainstream brands, but may impact legislation

Although company revenues are growing as products gain awareness and recognition, it is important to note that this is from a small base. Revenues are still relatively insignificant compared to those of sanitary protection giants such as Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark. While the smaller start-ups are unlikely to take significant share from mainstream brands, they have brought certain issues to the forefront which could impact bigger brands. For example, a legislative bill, if passed, could require all sanitary protection manufacturers to list ingredients on their packaging.