Despite the protracted recession the household hygiene paper products market stagnates and value sales are growing a bit.

Réka Nagy, marketing manager with SCA Hygiene Products Kft. told Trade magazin that consumer requirements show great variation but it is true for each group that they want value for their money. Better quality products were able to increase their market share step by step in the last few years. György Seregi, sales and marketing director of Vajda Papír Kft. informed us that consumers judge products based on softness, durability and absorption capacity. The majority of consumers don’t pay attention to other important factors and often they would be better off buying the products they consider expensive. Sándor Gödri, sales director of Metsa Tissue Hungary Kft. opines that good price is the most important criterion, not only for customers but retail chains as well, which want suppliers to keep offering favourable prices. The only exception is the premium category, where some kind of loyalty still exists. Nóra Pintér, marketing manager at FOREST-PAPÍR Kft. told us that for them not only brand building is of key importance, but also emphasising the Hungarian origin of products. They are in close cooperation with the Hungarian Product Nonprofit Kft. Hungary’s toilet paper market represents a value of HUF 26 billion a year. Household use 130 rolls a year on average. From SCA’s Zewa products the most popular are 3-layer toilet papers in large packaging units. Each year Zewa puts limited edition toilet papers on the market: this year it is the 16-roll Zewa Shea butter perfume. Vajda Papír’s Ooops! toilet papers boast a large number of sheets per roll. As for packaging unit, the Ooops! brand was the first to come out with a 32-roll pack and the 4-layer Prémium toilet paper is gynaecologically tested. Metsa Tissue Hungary distributes the Tento and Lambi brands in the Hungarian market. From these the 24-roll versions are customers’ favourite. This year the company has decided to surprise consumers with a special edition product: a 3-layer, winter scented toilet paper in 24-roll packs. Paper tissue: the 100 per pack version is responsible for the majority of sales. SCA’s Zewa Softis appears in stores with the 4-layer Midnight dream version. Vajda Papír’s Lilla, Daisy and Star paper tissues are popular in the lower-priced segment, while premium Ooops! paper tissues have won the Product of the Year prize. Normal size packaging units are the best sellers among kitchen towels, but the significance of ‘jumbo’ rolls is growing. For instance sales of Forest-Papír’s 1-layer and 3-layer holiday napkins are growing in terms of both value and volume. Metsa Tissue Hungary manufactures recycled Ooops! Greenline paper towels using green environmentally friendly energy. What is more, the product also sports the Nordic Ecolabel certification. The company introduced many Disney products under the Ooops! brand this year (toilet paper, paper tissue, paper towel)