Go after youths

Feminine hygiene is a delicate subject in more ways than one. Female consumers enter the market at an age so tender that the mere thought of purchasing sanitary protection products tends to cause emotional discomfort. But it also presents an opportunity for retailers to win them over and gain their loyalty.

Innovations that improve efficacy and enhance discretion are driving new product development, states global market research firm Mintel in its December 2014 report, “Category Insight: Feminine Hygiene and Incontinence Products.” These innovations include advancements in absorption capacity and odor neutralization. Botanicals and herbals, mostly used as product ingredients in the intimate washes and wipes segment, are beginning to be seen as natural odor absorption ingredients for use in sanitary pads.

Innovating with sanitary protection products could pay off for retailers. According to Mintel, 21 percent of U.S. women who use sanitary protection like to try new products and brands, hinting that consumers are looking for product innovations. As an added bonus, sanitary protection users are fairly accepting of private label products’ efficacy. One-fifth of U.S. consumers consider private label sanitary protection products to be just as good as branded.

“The consumer has come to realize that the store brand feminine hygiene products are of the same or better quality at a lower cost,” says William Lutz, vice president of sales and marketing for Premier Care Industries, Hauppauge, N.Y.

And sales figures support this fact. According to Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. (IRI), sales of private label sanitary napkins/liners and private label tampons increased during the 52 weeks ending Nov. 1, 2015.

To maintain or grow their private label share of feminine hygiene sales, retailers would do well to reassess to which age group their products and packaging appeal and increase promotion and merchandising of their store brand products.

Talk to the girls

Girls are entering puberty at younger ages than in the past, so both products and packaging must speak to their demographic, states Beth Richman, vice president of sales for Albaad USA, Reidsville, N.C.

If store brands are to be successful in this category, retailers must build themselves a base of consumers from the 12- to 25-year-old market, Lutz agrees. Therefore, retailers must gear products and packaging toward the teen market.

If done successfully, retailers could build store brand recognition and loyalty with this young consumer base that is replacing baby boomers, most of whom no longer require feminine hygiene products, he adds.

Think tiny, comfortable, reliable

Product development should take advantage of new technologies that offer compactness, comfort and performance, Lutz says. Individually wrapped products that are easy to transport and allow for more discreet disposal are also attractive to young consumers.

Thinner, smaller, more absorbent products that are designed to be discreet and reliable are emerging in the category, Richman agrees.

Compact tampons are another emerging trend, Lutz says. In sanitary napkins, more flexible pads and wings are becoming prominent.

Women with sensitive skin or allergies to the plastic derivatives used in some conventional products might find 100 percent cotton feminine hygiene products to their liking, says Paola Stevan, marketing manager, hygienic brands for the Italian mass market and international market for Milan, Italy-based Corma Spa.

Stevan believes the cotton segment is underdeveloped. Even women without allergies or sensitivity issues could be drawn to products that are more natural and comfortable than conventional products, she adds.

Be bright, vibrant, youthful

Younger consumers also want youthful packaging.

“Don’t follow the same [old] package guidelines when trying to get this younger customer’s attention,” says Richman. “New, upscale, clean, hip packaging will grab the attention of this customer just entering the category.”

Savvy retailers are tailoring their packaging graphics to meet younger consumers’ needs, Stevan agrees.

Retailers could capture the attention of the young crowd with packaging that features bold graphics and vibrant colors, Richman advises. Such packaging draws attention to itself at shelf level and could increase purchase intent, she says, adding that black has been widely used in the feminine hygiene category across all product offerings.

Brightly colored, trendy packaging is especially attractive to young consumers, Lutz concurs.

Packaging innovation also is becoming trendier within the category, Richman observes. For instance, combo packs that include both tampons and pads together are an important emerging packaging trend.

Encourage store brand acceptance

Investing in new product innovations and updated packaging isn’t enough. Retailers must also promote store brand feminine hygiene products.

Cross-promotion, instant coupons and bonus offerings continue to drive the successful store brand programs, Richman says. Offering trials of other types of feminine hygiene products also works well within this category.

Small-count trial packs with coupons included are a great way to introduce your products and start to build loyalty, Lutz agrees.

And retailers could serve older customers by offering dual-use products in the feminine hygiene planogram, so “the older customer on the verge can stay in ‘fem hy’ before having to move out of this segment” and into the adult incontinence area, Richman counsels.

This move is very important, as Mintel’s report found that despite the surge in new product development in the adult incontinence category, many women still purchase sanitary pads to deal with bladder leakage.

In this category especially, it’s important to understand what motivates your customers’ purchasing decisions, and to “wake up” your category with appropriate marketing strategies, Stevan says.

Retailers need to capture the best practices of the national brands, and highlight their new store brand packaging in-lane and on end caps and power wings, Lutz says.

He also recommends that retailers focus end caps and power wings on the teen demographic. A mixed end cap with a national brand and a store brand on the same display could highlight the cost savings of own brands.

Cross-merchandising feminine hygiene products in other personal care areas of the store where women usually shop, including the beauty and hair care aisles, could also be very effective. Lutz suggests performing these activities for one- or two-week periods to gauge their effectiveness.

And shipper displays allow for off-shelf opportunity to gain more attention for the store brands, Richman says.

“Store brand facings continue to be pressed by the expanded brand offerings, so the idea of offering displays allows for additional off-shelf space,” she notes. “End cap promo on store brands will improve the category focus as well.”

Do target tweens and teens as girls are entering puberty younger.

Don’t market feminine hygiene products in old-fashioned packaging.

Do innovate with thinner, smaller and more absorbent products.

Don’t ignore the power of end cap displays and cross-merchandising.