Wipes in Japan

PRE-COVID-19 PERFORMANCE

Baby wipes suffering from falling birth rates

The ongoing fall in birth rates in Japan is not only affecting nappies/diapers/pants but also other product areas targeting parents of young children, including baby wipes. The number of live births in Japan fell below 1 million in 2016 and continued to decline annually throughout the rest of the review period.

Hygiene and convenience support demand in general purpose wipes, while deodorant wipes see decline

Japanese consumers’ considerable concern for hygiene drove sales of wipes, especially general purpose wipes, towards the end of the review period. At home, consumers used to use surface care products to disinfect furniture such as tables, but a growing number of consumers appreciated the convenience of using general purpose wipes to clean surfaces.

Kao leads wipes, though Unicharm holds top spot in personal wipes category

Kao Corp’s leading position in wipes is primarily founded on its dominance of home care wipes and floor cleaning systems, though it is also the second largest player in personal wipes. Product innovation has been a key element of Kao’s strategy and the company has introduced a number of new products under its Quickle brand, including Quickle Wiper Wet Sheet and Quickle Wiper Handy, as well as renewing a wide range of existing products in the brand’s portfolio.

2020 AND BEYOND

COVID-19 impact

Sales of wipes are now expected to grow by 2% 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 2019 value terms in the 2020 edition of tissue and hygiene published in February 2020 (pre-COVID-19).

Affected products within wipes

General purpose wipes with anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties have been the main beneficiary of the rise in consumer hygiene-consciousness resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recovery and opportunities

While COVID-19 has provided a boost to consumer hygiene-consciousness, this has consolidated an ongoing trend. As a result, hygiene-focused habits are likely to persist beyond the duration of the pandemic, creating potential for the further development of wipes with anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties in both personal wipes, and home care wipes and floor cleaning systems.

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