Magazine: Consumers appreciate more layers

Taking a closer look at the sales trends in various household paper product categories, we can see that the market has been expanding steadily. Value shares have been growing faster than volume sales, because in many cases consumers have switched to premium products with a higher price-value ratio. Sales of paper towels have been growing the fastest, followed by toilet paper and facial tissue. Sales data indicate that 2-ply toilet papers are losing buyers. Shoppers want minimum 3-ply toilet papers, possibly scented ones, and more rolls in a pack. According to Eszter Hegedűs, Zewa brand manager of SCA Hygiene Products Kft., Zewa products make people’s lives easier and more comfortable. This autumn the company will put a new premium toilet paper on the market, and in the wet toilet paper (wet wipe) segment an Aloe Vera version has come out.

Eszter Hegedűs
Zewa brand manager
SCA Hygiene Products

Product manufacturers try to prevent the price competition between various retail channels by putting several product versions on the market. Shoppers like promotional prices, special offers and large-sized packs in the household paper product category. We learned from Orsolya Varga, brand manager of Vajda-Papír Kft. that the basket value keeps growing, especially in the facial tissue category. Since 2016 DunaPro has been the Hungarian distributor of Kimberly-Clark’s premium brands Kleenex and Huggies. Brand manager Zita Horváth told our magazine that they think: facial tissue isn’t only a functional object but also a great help when one catches a cold, and it can also be a home decoration item. This is the reason why Kleenex satisfies both types of need: Kleenex Balsam Tissues and Kleenex Ultra Soft Tissues protect the sensitive skin on the nose, while in box format these products look really nice in any part of the flat.

Orsolya Varga
brand manager
Vajda-Papír

Zita Horváth
brand manager
Dunapro

Attila Gerencsér
business unit manager
Carboferr

Ms Varga added that shoppers like to try new products, so the company has decided to come out with a new, limited edition facial tissue in the summer period, called Ooops! AQUA. Another new scent debuted this year in the Ooops! facial tissue range: soothing and relaxant lavender. What about kitchen towels and napkins? In this category innovation is a very important factor when consumers decide which product to put in their basket. Attila Gerencsér, business unit manager of Carboferr Zrt. highlighted the fact that their Renova products aren’t only high-quality and innovative, but they also look attractive. Their seasonal products are revamped every year – this Christmas they will launch another new collection. As for paper towels, the popularity of 1-roll, 500-sheet products is growing rapidly. Demand is also on the rise for 2-roll packs with a high sheet number – informed Vajda-Papír’s representative. The new 1-roll, 500-sheet Ooops! Maxi and 2-roll, 220-sheet Ooops! Duo XXL products have become successful instantly.

This spring Zewa launched two new, category-building products: Zewa Classic and Protect wet tissues for the hands and the face. These products are the perfect solution when one is travelling and can’t find a place to wash their hands or face. Réka Forgách, junior trade marketing manager of SCA Hygiene Products Kft. revealed that in the toilet paper category, they wish to improve the penetration level of premium product by educating consumers. Before school starts and in the allergy season facial tissues enter the spotlight.

Réka Forgách
junior trade marketing manager
SCA Hygiene Products

Daniella Burján
trade marketing manager
Vajda-papír

When developing Ooops! products, it is a very important factor to develop stylish, unique packaging that can be noticed easily – told Daniella Burján, trade marketing manager of Vajda-Papír Kft. She informed that it is a basic requirement from products to be easy to open, so the company uses the Easyopen and Open&Close innovations with many products; in the paper towel category the Center Feed solution is featured. This summer the company starts a blog called legjobbanyuka.blog.hu, where four mothers share cute family stories and various experiences from which readers learn: it is always a good idea to have Ooops! products at hand. //