Wipes in France

PRE-COVID-19 PERFORMANCE

Lotus driving demand for moist toilet wipes

With consumers leading increasingly busy lives there is an ever-growing demand for convenience, and this continued to support demand for wipes in 2019. Growth was mainly driven by products which make the process of cleaning the home quicker and easier, such as all purpose cleaning wipes, and moist toilet wipes.

Personal wipes sees mixed performances with health and hygiene and sustainability of key concern

Personal wipes saw only modest growth in 2019, with moist toilet wipes and intimate wipes being the only categories to see current value growth. With sales of sanitary protection stagnating manufacturers have turned their attention to other products to try and protect their profits.

Procter & Gamble looks to rebuild Pampers’ image with more natural products

Procter & Gamble remained the overall leader in wipes in 2019, largely thanks to its wide range of popular products which include the Pampers, Swiffer and Mr Proper brands. Despite its Pampers brand losing share in baby wipes after concerns were flagged regarding the ingredients in some products, the company looked to respond by launching its Pampers Harmonie line in late 2018.

2020 AND BEYOND

COVID-19 impact

Sales of wipes are now expected to grow by 5% in 2019 constant value terms in 2020 overall in light of the impact of COVID-19. This compares to a 1% 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

At the start of the pandemic in France consumers began stockpiling many products and this included wipes. One specific area to benefit from this was moist toilet wipes, partly due to a general stockpiling of toilet roll but also due to the increased hygiene these products provide.

Recovery and opportunities

With consumers placing more focus on health and hygiene as a result of COVID-19 the category has the potential for stronger growth over the forecast period compared to the review period. Manufacturers will likely look to highlight the germ-killing and antibacterial properties of their products, with this expected to be the main focus of consumers.

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