Sanitary Napkins Situational Analysis
SITUATION ANALYSIS
Introduction
Over the years, women have used different forms of feminine protection during their menstrual period such as menstrual aprons, knitted pads, and even rags. In the Philipppines, women used a cotton cloth called the pasadora. Eventually, the disposable pad was born, the first ones appearing to have been first commercially available from around 1895 through Curads and Hartmann's. Disposable pads started with nurses using their wood pulp bandages to catch their menstrual flow, creating a pad that was made from easily obtainable materials and inexpensive enough to throw away after use. Kimberly-Clark‘s Kotex appears to be the first of the early disposable pads to take off in the market. Several of the first disposable pad manufacturers were also manufacturers of bandages, which could give an indication of what these products were like—eventually becoming the sanitary napkin that we know of today. Whereas before sanitary napkins were seen as expensive, highly exclusive products and menstruation a subject of taboo, today the feminine protection market is saturated by many different brands, and usage of the sanitary napkin and panty liners has become so commonplace, with brands struggling to maintain some form of differentiation for their products by continuously coming up with new features. In the Philippines, the feminine protection market as we know it had its beginnings in the late 50s with the introduction of the sanitary napkin in the country. Current trends based on Euromonitor International findings are as follows: Sanitary protection value accelerates to 5% with faster volume turnover More technological brands balanced by cheaper products spurring consumption Ultra-thin towels clocks strongest increase of over 7% in value terms Slightly stronger price increase seen in 2005 Premium brands lose out to budget-friendly products With the majority of Filipinas still associating thicker towels with being more absorbent, as well
Introduction
Over the years, women have used different forms of feminine protection during their menstrual period such as menstrual aprons, knitted pads, and even rags. In the Philipppines, women used a cotton cloth called the pasadora. Eventually, the disposable pad was born, the first ones appearing to have been first commercially available from around 1895 through Curads and Hartmann's. Disposable pads started with nurses using their wood pulp bandages to catch their menstrual flow, creating a pad that was made from easily obtainable materials and inexpensive enough to throw away after use. Kimberly-Clark‘s Kotex appears to be the first of the early disposable pads to take off in the market. Several of the first disposable pad manufacturers were also manufacturers of bandages, which could give an indication of what these products were like—eventually becoming the sanitary napkin that we know of today. Whereas before sanitary napkins were seen as expensive, highly exclusive products and menstruation a subject of taboo, today the feminine protection market is saturated by many different brands, and usage of the sanitary napkin and panty liners has become so commonplace, with brands struggling to maintain some form of differentiation for their products by continuously coming up with new features. In the Philippines, the feminine protection market as we know it had its beginnings in the late 50s with the introduction of the sanitary napkin in the country. Current trends based on Euromonitor International findings are as follows: Sanitary protection value accelerates to 5% with faster volume turnover More technological brands balanced by cheaper products spurring consumption Ultra-thin towels clocks strongest increase of over 7% in value terms Slightly stronger price increase seen in 2005 Premium brands lose out to budget-friendly products With the majority of Filipinas still associating thicker towels with being more absorbent, as well