Household and Personal Products Industry

U.S. Wipes Demand
Convenience, consumer acceptance and innovation
are the driving forces in the consumer market; personal
hygiene and general purpose household cleaning wipes
predicted to grow fastest.

By Corinne Gangloff , Freedonia Group

Demand for wipes in the U.S. is forecast to rise 5.1% per year to $2.5 billion in 2016. Sales of wipes will be aided by ongoing improvements in the economy. Wipes will continue to benefit from features such as ease of use, disposability, portability and reduced risk of cross-contamination. While disposability has been a primary advantage in the growth of wipes, it also has the potential to restrain sales as more consumers become attuned to environmental concerns. The 2007-2009 recession appears to have had an ongoing impact on buying habits in the consumer wipes segment. During this time, consumers economized by using private label wipes (limiting value sales at the retail level), by shifting away from task-specific wipes to general purpose products or by returning to traditional cleaning methods.

Going forward, convenience, consumer acceptance and innovation will remain driving forces in the consumer market, with personal hygiene and general purpose household cleaning wipes projected to register the fastest gains. Personal hygiene wipes will enjoy increased market penetration; the concept of wet bathroom tissue as part of a standard bathroom routine is gaining acceptance especially since the industry has become diligent in developing not only flushable but also dispersible products. Growth in general purpose disinfectant wipes will be propelled by the appeal of one-step cleaning. The large and more established baby wipes category