SANITARY PROTECTION IN

INDIA
Euromonitor International
June 2015

SANITARY PROTECTION IN INDIA

LIST OF CONTENTS AND TABLES

Headlines ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Trends .......................................................................................................................................... 1
Competitive Landscape ................................................................................................................ 2
Prospects ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Category Data .............................................................................................................................. 3
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Table 4
Table 5
Table 6
Table 7
Table 8

Towels by Type of Use: % Value 2009-2014 ............................................... 3

Retail Sales of Sanitary Protection by Category: Value 2009-2014 ............. 3
Retail Sales of Sanitary Protection by Category: % Value Growth
2009-2014 .................................................................................................... 4
Retail Sales of Tampons by Application Format: % Value 2009-2014 ......... 4
NBO Company Shares of Retail Sanitary Protection: % Value 20102014 ............................................................................................................. 4
LBN Brand Shares of Retail Sanitary Protection: % Value 2011-2014 ......... 5
Forecast Retail Sales of Sanitary Protection by Category: Value 20142019 ............................................................................................................. 5
Forecast Retail Sales of Sanitary Protection by Category: % Value
Growth 2014-2019 ....................................................................................... 6

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SANITARY PROTECTION IN INDIA

SANITARY PROTECTION IN INDIA

HEADLINES
Both retail volume and current value sales grow by 15% in 2014 to reach 3.9 billion units and
Rs19.6 billion
Higher awareness of hygiene, comfort and convenience increase the use of sanitary
protection in India
Ultra-thin towels posts the fastest current value sales growth of 21% in 2014
The average current unit price rises by 1% in 2014
Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care continues to lead sanitary protection in 2014
An 8% value CAGR at constant 2014 prices is expected over the forecast period

TRENDS
Sanitary protection retail sales grew by 15% in both volume and current value terms in 2014
to reach 3.9 billion units and Rs19.6 billion. Growth was due to ongoing promotions by leading
players and increased distribution, even to smaller towns in India. Rising disposable income
levels enabled more women to afford sanitary protection products.
Sanitary protection items have quickly become necessity products for Indians who traditionally
used homemade cloth pads. Continuous promotional and awareness campaigns through
schools and colleges by the leading brands, such as Whisper and Stayfree, have increased
the acceptance of these products.
Ultra-thin towels registered faster retail volume and value growth than standard towels in
2014. Girls and working women mostly wear Western clothes and they prefer ultra-thin towels
because they give them longer use and a safer feeling than standard towels. The emphasis
on quality has increased as modern women are more concerned about hygienic products to
avoid any type of infection. In addition, women look for added value in sanitary protection,
such as greater protection, discreet products and long-lasting freshness. Standard towels are
more popular among housewives and the older generation, as they look for utility within price
points.
Though brand loyalty was very strong in sanitary protection, smaller brands like Saathi and
newer entrants like Bella have leveraged the awareness created by established brands. They
have played with price points or developed distribution networks to capture share.
The average current unit price increased only slightly in 2014, due to stronger price
competition. Smaller companies have launched sanitary protection products at lower price
points, which forced established brands to maintain prices, especially for standard towels, in
order to remain competitive.
No new product launches were seen in sanitary protection in 2014. This may be because
companies preferred to increase the penetration of existing products.
Though retail value sales of sanitary protection products are high in urban areas, rural India
still accounted for a 32% share in 2014. The rural consumer base is emerging as women and
girls switch to branded sanitary protection products from cotton pads and cloth. Importantly,
companies are investing in educating females in rural areas, which has created demand.
Pantyliners remained a latent type of sanitary protection in the country, as usage remained
unclear to the majority of women. There are fewer pantyliner brands and they receive little or
no promotional support, which limits awareness to modern women only. Carefree, Bella and

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SANITARY PROTECTION IN INDIA

Softex were the leading brands and Classic, Eve, Johnson, She Comfort and Wow were the
smaller brands of pantyliners present in India in 2014.
Retail sales of tampons remained very small in the country, because of low awareness and
apprehension among women regarding usage. Manufacturers have also not ventured much
into this subcategory: o b (Johnson & Johnson) and Bella are the only brands with significant
retail volume or value shares. Applicator tampons remained negligible in 2014.
Day towels dominated in India, with only a couple of night towel brands available in the
market. Consumers were not keen to use different towels on day-night basis. With educative
advertisements by brands like Whisper and Stayfree, the demand for night towels has
improved slowly.
The presence of intimate wipes in India remained very small. There were only a couple of
brands, and they were not widely available.
In semi-urban, slum and rural areas, women were not fully aware of the benefits of using
sanitary protection and they remained highly price sensitive. Thus, they preferred to use
traditional cloth towels and cotton pads. Menstrual health has remained a taboo in small
towns, where women are barred from various activities like entering temples and kitchens
during their period. Due to embarrassment, most adult females depended on male members
of their family to buy sanitary protection products.
Though health and beauty specialist retailers continued to lead value sales in sanitary
protection, modern grocery retailers posted strong growth to account for a 29% share in 2014.
It was convenient for consumers to select and pay for these products in a modern grocery
retail store. Independent small grocers are usually located in residential areas in India. These
stores can be reached when required. In 2014, independent small grocers held a 21% share
of retail value sales. Direct sales of sanitary protection have become very low, due to
increasing availability from store-based retailers.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Procter & Gamble continues to lead sanitary protection with a 40% retail volume share and
48% retail value share in 2014. The company offers the flagship brand Whisper, which has a
long-standing presence in India and is often used as a synonym for sanitary protection
products, especially in small towns.
Sofy (Unicharm India) witnessed huge growth of over 100% in both retail volume and current
value sales albeit from a small base. The brand also benefited from TV advertising and instore promotions.
Emami Ltd acquired the She brand from Royal Hygiene Care Ltd in 2014. Emami entered
sanitary protection with this acquisition and it aims to gain share, starting from East India.
International companies Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson led sanitary protection
due to their long-standing presence and investment in TV advertising. These companies have
even spread awareness in small towns through schools and colleges. The domestic company
Emami was a new entrant in the category and had only very marginal retail volume and
shares in 2014.
No innovations in product or packaging were observed in 2014. The category remained
underrepresented, and the penetration of unconventional products like tampons and
pantyliners was still very small. No organic, natural or green sanitary protection products
were found in India in 2014.

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Private label could not dent the retail volume or value shares of established brands, despite
the support of retail chains. Consumers of sanitary protection products favoured quality over
price for reason of hygiene and health.

PROSPECTS
Sanitary protection is estimated to grow by a 14% retail volume CAGR and 8% value CAGR
at constant 2014 prices over the forecast period. Value growth is estimated to be slower than
volume growth due to price competition and the higher penetration of these products in the
country.
The embarrassment about buying these products in person is expected to reduce but not
disappear, especially in small towns. The modern grocery and online retailing channels will
help to curb the taboo surrounding these products, at least in cities.
Sanitary protection is set to continue to benefit from rising disposable income levels for
women in the country and increasing access to these products through different retailing
channels. Price competition between leading brands and their aggressive marketing
strategies will help the category to grow in both urban and rural areas.
The presence of unorganised and imported brands, mainly from countries like China, Ukraine
and Malaysia, is rapidly increasing and such products carry lower prices. These products
could pose a strong threat to the sales of branded players.
Ultra-thin towels is predicted to see faster retail volume and value growth than standard
towels over the forecast period. This is because of increasing popularity among modern
women, who prefer ultra-thin towels for better utility and comfort levels. Ultra-thin towels is
expected to grow by a 22% retail volume CAGR and 14% value CAGR at constant 2014
prices. Working women and younger females prefer ultra-thin over standard towels because
of clothes they wear, the type of work they do and the comfort level they desire.
The average unit price (at constant 2014 prices) of sanitary protection is expected to
decrease over the forecast period, due to intense competition in the category. Consumers are
price sensitive and they look for cheaper products, discounts and special offers such as buy1-get-1-free. Also, the projected increase in retail volume sales will help manufacturers to
reduce prices.

CATEGORY DATA
Table 1

Towels by Type of Use: % Value 2009-2014

% value

Day
Night
Source:

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

100.0
0.0

100.0
0.0

100.0
0.0

99.0
1.0

98.0
2.0

96.0
4.0

2013

2014

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Table 2

Retail Sales of Sanitary Protection by Category: Value 2009-2014

INR million
2009

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2010

2011

2012

SANITARY PROTECTION IN INDIA

Pantyliners
Tampons
Towels
- Standard Towels
-- Standard Towels With
Wings
-- Standard Towels
Without Wings
- Ultra-Thin Towels
-- Ultra-Thin Towels
With Wings
-- Ultra-Thin Towels
Without Wings
Sanitary Protection
Including Intimate Wipes
Sanitary Protection
Source:

Passport

58.3
25.4
9,347.0
6,512.3
871.4

61.5
27.0
10,794.7
7,476.0
956.7

65.1
28.9
12,550.3
8,596.9
1,068.4

69.1
30.6
14,555.4
9,812.8
1,204.8

73.7
32.7
16,832.6
11,117.4
1,377.4

78.8
35.0
19,437.2
12,536.6
1,570.4

5,641.0

6,519.3

7,528.5

8,608.0

9,740.0

10,966.3

2,834.6
2,834.6

3,318.8
3,318.8

3,953.4
3,953.4

4,742.6
4,742.6

5,715.3
5,715.3

6,900.6
6,900.6

9,430.7

10,883.2

12,644.3

14,655.1

16,939.1

19,551.1

9,430.7

10,883.2

12,644.3

14,655.1

16,939.1

19,551.1

Euromonitor International from official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research,
store checks, trade interviews, trade sources

Table 3

Retail Sales of Sanitary Protection by Category: % Value Growth 2009-2014

% current value growth

Pantyliners
Tampons
Towels
- Standard Towels
-- Standard Towels With Wings
-- Standard Towels Without Wings
- Ultra-Thin Towels
-- Ultra-Thin Towels With Wings
-- Ultra-Thin Towels Without Wings
Sanitary Protection Including Intimate
Wipes
Sanitary Protection
Source:

2013/14

2009-14 CAGR

2009/14 Total

6.9
7.0
15.5
12.8
14.0
12.6
20.7
20.7
15.4

6.2
6.6
15.8
14.0
12.5
14.2
19.5
19.5
15.7

35.1
37.7
108.0
92.5
80.2
94.4
143.4
143.4
107.3

15.4

15.7

107.3

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store checks, trade interviews, trade sources

Table 4

Retail Sales of Tampons by Application Format: % Value 2009-2014

% retail value rsp

Applicator Tampons
Digital Tampons
Total
Source:

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

0.0
100.0
100.0

0.0
100.0
100.0

0.0
100.0
100.0

0.0
100.0
100.0

0.0
100.0
100.0

0.0
100.0
100.0

2013

2014

Euromonitor International from official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research,
store checks, trade interviews, trade sources

Table 5

NBO Company Shares of Retail Sanitary Protection: % Value 2010-2014

% retail value rsp

Company

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2010

2011

2012

SANITARY PROTECTION IN INDIA

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Procter & Gamble

Hygiene & Health Care Ltd
Johnson & Johnson
(India) Ltd
Kimberly-Clark Lever Ltd
Unicharm India Pvt Ltd
Gufic Biosciences Ltd
Emami Ltd
V2 Retail Ltd
Royal Hygiene Care Ltd
Vishal Retail Ltd
Others
Total
Source:

51.7

50.6

49.5

48.3

33.9

31.2

28.9

27.2

25.6

3.5
1.7
0.1
0.4
9.7
100.0

3.2
0.3
1.6
0.2
0.3
11.6
100.0

2.8
0.5
1.4
0.2
0.2
15.3
100.0

2.7
0.7
1.3
0.2
0.2
18.1
100.0

2.5
1.3
1.2
0.2
0.2
20.7
100.0

Euromonitor International from official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research,
store checks, trade interviews, trade sources

Table 6

LBN Brand Shares of Retail Sanitary Protection: % Value 2011-2014

% retail value rsp

Brand
Whisper
Stayfree
Kotex
Sofy
Shapers
Carefree
She Comfort Ultra
Thin
Feel
ob
She
Feel
Others
Total
Source:

50.6

Company

2011

2012

2013

2014

Procter & Gamble

Hygiene & Health Care Ltd
Johnson & Johnson
(India) Ltd
Kimberly-Clark Lever Ltd
Unicharm India Pvt Ltd
Gufic Biosciences Ltd
Johnson & Johnson
(India) Ltd
Emami Ltd

51.7

50.6

49.5

48.3

28.6

26.6

25.2

23.9

3.2
0.3
1.6
1.3

2.8
0.5
1.4
1.1

2.7
0.7
1.3
1.0

2.5
1.3
1.2
0.9

0.2

0.2

0.2
0.2

0.2
0.2

0.2
0.2

0.2
0.3
12.6
100.0

0.2
16.2
100.0

0.2
18.9
100.0

21.4
100.0

V2 Retail Ltd
Johnson & Johnson
(India) Ltd
Royal Hygiene Care Ltd
Vishal Retail Ltd

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store checks, trade interviews, trade sources

Table 7

Forecast Retail Sales of Sanitary Protection by Category: Value 2014-2019

INR million

Pantyliners
Tampons
Towels
- Standard Towels
-- Standard Towels With
Wings
-- Standard Towels
Without Wings
- Ultra-Thin Towels
-- Ultra-Thin Towels

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2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

78.8
35.0
19,437.2
12,536.6
1,570.4

78.5
34.9
20,820.0
13,033.9
1,687.7

78.5
35.1
22,417.3
13,569.7
1,813.0

78.8
35.6
24,249.7
14,112.4
1,933.1

79.2
36.1
26,280.8
14,626.4
2,053.3

79.8
36.8
28,521.7
15,089.1
2,152.5

10,966.3

11,346.2

11,756.7

12,179.3

12,573.0

12,936.6

6,900.6
6,900.6

7,786.1
7,786.1

8,847.6
8,847.6

10,137.3
10,137.3

11,654.5
11,654.5

13,432.6
13,432.6

SANITARY PROTECTION IN INDIA

With Wings
-- Ultra-Thin Towels
Without Wings
Sanitary Protection
Including Intimate Wipes
Sanitary Protection
Source:

Table 8

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19,551.1

20,933.5

22,530.9

24,364.0

26,396.2

28,638.3

19,551.1

20,933.5

22,530.9

24,364.0

26,396.2

28,638.3

Euromonitor International from trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews,
trade sources

Forecast Retail Sales of Sanitary Protection by Category: % Value Growth

2014-2019

% constant value growth

Pantyliners
Tampons
Towels
- Standard Towels
-- Standard Towels With Wings
-- Standard Towels Without Wings
- Ultra-Thin Towels
-- Ultra-Thin Towels With Wings
-- Ultra-Thin Towels Without Wings
Sanitary Protection Including Intimate
Wipes
Sanitary Protection
Source:

2014/2015

2014-19 CAGR

2014/19 TOTAL

0.8
1.9
8.5
3.2
4.8
2.9
15.3
15.3
8.5

0.2
1.0
8.0
3.8
6.5
3.4
14.2
14.2
7.9

1.2
5.1
46.7
20.4
37.1
18.0
94.7
94.7
46.5

8.5

7.9

46.5

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