Magazine: Paper product buyers are hungry for innovations

Basket value is on the rise in the paper product market – this is especially true in the facial tissue category. When buying paper towel, consumers are looking for 1-2 roll products with an increased number of sheets. In the toilet paper category demand is shifting in the direction of large-sized, scented, minimum 3-layer products with a good price-value ratio. Orsolya Varga, brand manager of Vajda Papír Kft. told our magazine that the company’s innovation activity isn’t only influenced by market research data, but also by actual consumer demand.

This is the reason why Vajda Papír – the manufacturer of Ooops! products – has product samples tested by consumers, so that the company can get first-hand information about market trends and consumer expectations.

New products of the company: single-roll Ooops! Maxi paper towel with 500 sheets and Ooops! Duo XXL with 200 sheets. For children the company developed Ooops! Frozen 2-roll paper towel with snowflake motifs, Ooops! Frozen 4-layer, 10×8 facial tissue and Frozen facial tissue in a box. This December brings the debut of the new StarWars portfolio – facial tissue, facial tissue in a box and special paper plate mats. The brand keeps in touch with consumers via its Youtube channel and Facebook page.

We learned from Eszter Hegedűs, brand manager of SCA Hygiene Products Kft. that with its innovations, the Zewa brand’s main goal is to make people’s lives easier and more comfortable. This spring Zewa came out with a new, 4-layer, premium almond milk toilet paper. At the end of the year antibacterial Zewa Softis Protect facial tissues appeared on store shelves. The antibacterial and antiviral material between the layers reduces the number of bacteria and viruses in the tissue, by this lowering the chances of infection. This dermatologically tested product is soft and strong, and its Aloe Vera extract soothes the skin.

In the household hygiene paper product category toilet papers constitute the biggest segment. Demand is the highest for 3-layer products. As for facial tissue, 90- and 100-tissue products are the most popular. Nóra Pintér, product manager of Sofidel Hungary Kft. told Trade magazin that in the paper towel segment the single-roll, inner-layer segment is developing well, but 2-roll, 2- and 3-layer products still sell well, too. So-called modern facial tissues need to have many special characteristics these days: they shouldn’t rip apart easily, they need to have a pleasant scent, they have to be very soft, etc.

Kimberly Clark manufactures premium category Kleenex facial tissues. Viktória Kürti, brand manager of distributor DunaPro informed us that 4-layer Kleenex Balsam tissues prevent the nose from becoming dry and sore. Kleenex Balsam Fresh Menthol tissues can make breathing easier if one’s nose is blocked. 4-layer Kleenex Ultra Soft is the softest facial tissue available in the market. The brand manager revealed to us that box-format and ‘on-the-go’ facial tissues are becoming more and more popular. Kleenex makes sure that they are present in the box segment with attractive designs. Kleenex’s Kids Collection tissues target children, making blowing their nose a playful activity for them.