Asia Pacific Feminine Hygiene Market Outlook, 2027

Women and girls in Asia-Pacific like other parts of the world, experience challenges in managing menstruation effectively and hygienically. Menstruation, a natural bodily function experienced by most women and adolescent girls each month, is often surrounded by taboos and restrictive socio-cultural practices. Food restrictions, segregation from the household, myths about bringing bad luck to men, and other beliefs place restrictions on women’s and girls’ daily activities and involvement in religious and social activities. This social stigma is compounded by poor knowledge of menstruation due to a lack of information and education. Rising awareness among the female population about health and fitness in regions of Asia has raised the demand for affordable hygiene care products. Looking at the growing demand, many global companies operating in the feminine hygiene industry are targeting Asia as part of their expansion strategy. The Asian women's hygiene market is also witnessing significant investment for marketing campaigns in order to target a greater number of customers.

According to the recently published report-Asia Pacific Feminine Hygiene Market Outlook, 2027 the region is the largest contributor to the market. The region is currently the largest market for retail disposable hygiene products, supported by a sizable and yet not fully tapped consumer base, rising awareness and availability of products, and increasing spending power. Shifting demographics such as population growth, majorly due to a lower infant mortality rate, increased longevity, and higher disposable income, are expected to drive the growth of feminine hygiene products in the region. Furthermore, the emerging markets are witnessing rapid urbanization, improved infrastructure, and fast evolving retail trade, which is further adding to the market's growth. In 2021, the market stood at around USD 19 Billion, a size that is expected to grow at more than 8% CAGR.

Tampons are incredibly rare among Asian females. There is a general belief that tampons are not good for women’s health. For younger women, there has traditionally been a fear that tampons will break the hymen. However, with more than 70% of Asian women having sex before marriage, virginity is no longer a huge consideration. The remaining concerns stem from a lack of tampon culture and education on proper tampon usage. A sanitary napkin is an absorbent item used by a woman during her menstruation. They are either made of non-biodegradable cellulosic fibre and plastics or biodegradable materials such as banana fiber, bamboo, corn, organic cotton, etc. that do not contain any synthetic or chemical-based raw materials.

Feminine hygiene products are sold through a variety of channels. Distribution of products is another area of significant value addition. Major distribution channels such as drug stores and pharmacies, health and beauty stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets, convenience stores, Due to the improvement in the standard of living of people in Asia Pacific, supermarkets and convenience stores have become popular channels for the purchase of goods. The online segment has been able to avoid the dirty looks of the males which the females or teen girls usually encounter in the physical stores. Emerging markets such as Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Hong Kong are anticipated to witness a significant increase in the usage of feminine hygiene products due to increased disposable income in the near future. Even though the offline distribution channels are expected to have a dominant market share throughout the assessment period, high sales from online distribution channels are being witnessed, especially due to the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak. The availability of several feminine hygiene product brands on online platforms makes it easier for consumers to compare and purchase products as per their unique requirements.

China holds the lead position in the feminine hygiene products market across Asia-Pacific, followed by Japan. In China, with rising awareness and hygiene consciousness, consumers are prone to using premium-quality and expensive sanitary products such as pantiliners, shields, and tampons. The demand for feminine hygiene products is expected to grow in countries such as China and Japan due to rising awareness of sanitation and personal hygiene. Major developed markets like China and Japan are estimated to witness rising demand for sanitary pads over the next six years. In terms of countries, China is projected to dominate the Asia-Pacific feminine hygiene products market due to an increase in awareness about sanitation.

Brands in India are launching a first-of-its-kind cool napkin, which is gaining popularity for its revolutionary cooling technology for an irritation-free period. Manufacturers are increasing R&D in self-disinfecting reusable period underwear using innovative fabric solutions alongside a wash and dry bag solution. Enhancing product portfolios, regulating the gap between demand and supply, and giving rise to product differentiation are the main strategies that are being implemented by businesses present in the Asia-Pacific feminine hygiene products market. Further, the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA) in India, initiated by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), was aimed at creating awareness among women regarding topics such as menstruation. Such campaigns are expected across the Asia-Pacific throughout the forecast period, given the lack of knowledge regarding intimate hygiene in countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan. The manufacturers are creating awareness by distributing free samples in rural India and the central government is organizing a free sanitary towel distribution program ASHA for rural secondary school girls. The program is becoming popular and this in turn is expected to increase the sales of sanitary towels during the forecast period.

Despite several positive factors, the Asia-Pacific feminine hygiene products market is being hindered substantially by a lack of awareness among females in numerous rural and underdeveloped regions, such as in India. This has made it difficult for companies to sell products in large quantities. Thus, extensive product marketing and advertising about the advantages of feminine hygiene products hold promising potential to increase their uptake in rural and underdeveloped regions of Asia and the Pacific. Moreover, the shortage of feminine hygiene products in such regions has restrained the market too, due to a significant gap between demand and supply. Furthermore, less economically developed regions might consist of locals who could find it expensive to buy products owing to low disposable income, consequently hindering the Asia-Pacific feminine products market’s growth. Hence, companies should focus on a balanced relationship with suppliers and ecosystem partners to ensure a robust supply of feminine hygiene products in rural and underdeveloped areas of the region.

Furthermore, consumers prefer to use easy-to-use sanitary products during menstruation due to changing preferences and increasing health concerns. Observing the market trend, manufacturers are investing significantly in advertising campaigns related to feminine hygiene products to attract female consumers. They are launching new feminine hygiene products with added qualities such as high capacity to absorb, special leakage protection, and ultra-thin napkins to capture a major share of the market. Companies in the Asia-Pacific feminine hygiene products market are acquiring other small-scale players to broaden their female intimate hygiene products portfolio. Manufacturers are announcing the launch of their new line of biodegradable hygiene and care products for women in India. These include pee sticks, panty liners, tampons, sanitary pads, and menstrual cups. Demand for eco-friendly and environment-friendly feminine hygiene products is expected to rise during the forecast period due to rising consumer awareness regarding environmental conservation.

In recent years, UNICEF and UNESCO have actively educated young females in under-developed and developing countries to raise awareness about feminine hygiene products. This has led to a positive impact on feminine health management. Furthermore, an ongoing discussion in several countries on providing feminine sanitary products as part of national healthcare services and other governmental initiatives has actively aimed to curb the social stigma of menstruation. This has led to increased use of feminine hygiene products in under-developed and developing countries, driving the growing demand for feminine hygiene products.

Even within the same region, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to meeting your consumer’s needs. For example, some consider the menstrual health market in APAC to be the most diversified of all the world’s regions. This plays a significant role in what types of articles are produced. In some APAC countries, individuals who menstruate prefer a thicker, longer-lasting pad. In other countries within this region, users want a product with additives that help keep them cooler in a warm climate. In certain areas of the industry, product supply is outpacing demand. Because of this, commoditization is occurring in the low-and mid-tier levels of absorbent articles. Conversely, innovation is shaping higher-end products. This lower birth rate, coupled with an ageing population, is leading some manufacturers to shift their focus. Especially notable are growth opportunities in adult incontinence and period care.

Key Developments

• In March 2020, Hindustan Unilever Limited announced plans to acquire VWash, a female intimate hygiene products brand from Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
• In March 2020, The Woman’s Company announced the launch of its new line of biodegradable hygiene and care products for women in India. The launch was on account of International Women’s Day. Products in the new line include tampons, sanitary pads, panty liners, menstrual cups, and a pee stick.
• In May 2019, Sofy launched India's first cool napkin - Sofy COOL. The product comes with a revolutionary Coolpad Technology, which gives a feeling of coolness for an Irritation Free Period.
• Reemi, a New Zealand-based charity, has developed the world’s first self-disinfecting reusable period underwear using the innovative fabric solution CottonX, alongside a wash and dry bag solution.

COVID-19 Impacts:

Brands are becoming more prices competitive whilst retailers are enabling home delivery of feminine hygiene products amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Rising awareness among women to maintain a hygienic lifestyle, especially in urban areas and developed regions of the Asia-Pacific, has caused the market to expand rapidly in recent times. The Asia-Pacific feminine hygiene products market is projected to advance at a promising CAGR over the forecast period. However, there is a need for robust supply chains and awareness about the advantages of feminine hygiene products in rural and underdeveloped regions of Asia and the Pacific. Hence, companies in the Asia-Pacific feminine hygiene products market should invest in marketing and provide better solutions for supply chains by developing long-term relationships with ecosystem partners and suppliers through better communication.

Major companies present in the market

Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Hengan International Group Company Limited, Edgewell Personal Care Company, Kao Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Unicharm Corporation, Daio Paper Corporation, Essity Aktiebolag, Ontex

Considered in this report

• Geography: Asia-Pacific
• Historic year: 2016
• Base year: 2021
• Estimated year: 2022
• Forecast year: 2027

Aspects covered in this report

• Asia-Pacific Feminine Hygiene market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Country-wise toy market analysis
• Various divers and challenges
• Ongoing trends and developments
• Five force models
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

Countries covered in the report

• China
• Japan
• India
• Australia

Segment covered in the report

By Product Type

• Sanitary Pad
• Tampons
• Panty Liner
• Menstrual Cup
• Internal Cleansers ,Disposable Razors & Blades

By Type

• Disposable
• Reusable

By Sales Channel

• Supermarkets and Hypermarkets
• Pharmacies
• Convenience Stores
• Online
• Others (Specialty Stores, Hospitals)

The approach of the report:

This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual reports of companies, and analyzing the government- generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducted trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we have verified the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience

This report can be useful to Industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to feminine hygiene products industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.