Wipes in Australia

2021 DEVELOPMENTS

Need to sanitise drives the growth of wipes during the pandemic

Whether being used for home care or for personal care purposes, wipes experienced rapid growth in 2020 and 2021. Whilst this was partly due to their convenience when cleaning either surfaces or skin – a selling proposition that is attractive at any time – the primary driver was increased interest in sanitisation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In personal wipes, the influence of the pandemic has been mixed

Personal wipes is dominated by baby wipes, the convenience of which meant that sales continued to grow in 2021 even though the number of births in Australia declined. Similar to nappies/diapers/pants, baby wipes was given a boost during the pandemic when childcare centres were closed, and parents were required to purchase the baby wipes that would usually have been supplied by the centres.

Wipes is a growing side business for brands with household names

Although wipes is a category seeing rapid growth, these products tend to be treated as a side business for brands whose reputations have been built in adjacent categories. Home care wipes, for example, is dominated by leading home care brands, particularly those from surface care.

PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The end of the pandemic does not mean the end of the boom in general purpose wipes

As Australia reopens in the aftermath of the pandemic, consumers will once again be out and about. Although virtually all Australians are double-vaccinated, COVID-19 is likely to remain endemic in the community, and consumers will continue to be cautious, using antibacterial general purpose wipes to protect themselves from disease.

Neither does it mean the end of the dynamism of home care wipes

The COVID-19 pandemic may be approaching its end, but the disease is likely to be endemic, and many Australians will continue to spend more time at home than they did pre-pandemic. The desire to constantly clean the home, in order that it is safe, clean and pleasant, is likely to remain at the heightened level experienced during the pandemic.

Beauty routines will change as Australia goes back to normal

As Australians resurrect their social lives in the post-pandemic era, demand for cosmetic wipes, and specifically facial cleansing wipes, will rebound. However, sales are unlikely to immediately return to the same level as prior to the pandemic.