Wipes in Belarus

PRE-COVID-19 PERFORMANCE

Demand for wipes continues to increase as the consumer base continues to develop

Strong sales growth was seen in wipes during 2019 as the category continued to benefit from the emergence of a substantial base of affluent urban consumers who are interested in these products. Recent years have seen steady economic development and a strong urbanisation trend in Belarus and this has spurred growth in the urban middle-class.

The range of wipes available in Belarus continues to expand

The improving economic situation in Belarus towards the end of the review period spurred growth in sales of wipes and this in turn encouraged the category’s leading players to expand the range of products they offer. More specifically, there is now a far wider variety of value added products, while items that can be seen as innovative within the Belarusian context are also gaining ground.

The competitive environment in wipes remains fragmented

One noteworthy feature of wipes in Belarus is that the category’s competitive environment remains highly fragmented. Indeed, no player was able to generate a double-digit value share in the category in 2019 as large numbers of players remain present, with most of them focusing on a specific wipes category such as baby wipes, facial wipes or moist toilet wipes.

2020 AND BEYOND

COVID-19 impact

Sales of wipes are now expected to grow by just 1% in 2019 constant value terms in 2020 overall in light of the impact of COVID-19. This compares to a 3% rise forecast in 2019 constant value terms in our 2020 edition of tissue and hygiene published in February 2020 (pre-COVID-19).

Affected products within wipes

With consumer demand shifting towards more essential products due to the economic impact of COVID-19, baby wipes is likely to be less severely affected by the anticipated slowdown in sales growth across wipes during 2020. Because baby wipes are seen as essential for all families with babies and young children and because general purpose wipes have a broad positioning, many people purchase these types of wipes for a variety of purposes.

Recovery and opportunities

Over the course of the forecast period, it is likely that sales of wipes will eventually recover from the slowdown in growth expected in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the extent of any economic recession resulting from COVID-19 remains to be seen.

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