Paper power
Successful brands in the household paper category are capitalising on their reputations for delivering quality products that consumers trust, and encouraging them to increase spend by offering greater added benefits and targeting more specific cleaning occasions
Print14 February 2020
Despite facing intense competition from private-label competitors, certain individual household paper brands have managed to maintain growth in recent years. Keeping a focus on USPs has proved important in maintaining that loyalty as well as attracting new shoppers. These include factors such as strength and durability, luxury, valued skincare features, anti-bacterial properties and environmentally friendly credentials.
Innovative marketing campaigns and eye-catching POS materials have also played a key role in attracting consumer attention, as have engaging social media platforms. Leading brands have also responded to consumer demand by offering excellent value-for-money for budget-conscious households and providing a range of sizes and formats to suit all needs.
Richard Hopping, household and brand analyst at Mintel, also highlights how within the kitchen roll segment, targeting the cleaning occasion more specifically can encourage consumers to trade up. “As consumers are using kitchen roll products as alternative to cloths,” says Hopping, “brands targeting the cleaning occasion more specifically may be able to encourage spend.”
A further report by Euromonitor Ireland on the tissue and hygiene sector was also upbeat overall. “Despite a number of significant challenges,” writes Euromonitor, “the outlook remains reasonably positive for the majority of categories within tissue and hygiene. Irish economic activity is set to be positive until the middle part of the forecast five-year period at least, with GDP expected to outperform the EU average in 2020 and 2021.”
Euromonitor also points out that the environment is top-of-mind for consumers in their product choice. “Irish consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their product choices,” the analyst states. “Sustainability and flushability are two top features for consumers when considering product alternatives.”
A stellar portfolio
Boosting a 17.3%* value share of the toilet tissue category, Cushelle is the number one brand in the market
Cushelle is the number one brand in the market over the last 12 months, with a 17.3%* value share of the toilet tissue category, and exciting brand plans to continue growing in 2020. Cushelle will run a strong advertising campaign, featuring Kenny the Koala, throughout 2020 beginning with TV and video on-demand for Cushelle Quilted with a TV tagline to help drive awareness of Cushelle facial tissues.
Kenny the Koala will appear on screens throughout 2020, beginning with TV and video on-demand content for Cushelle Quilted
Many of you will have watched the upsetting news reports about the devastating bushfires in Australia that have claimed the homes and lives of many people and wildlife. As a responsible business that prominently features a koala in the branding of Cushelle, brand owner Essity felt a duty to donate to the ongoing relief efforts being carried out by charities in Australia.
Therefore, Cushelle will be donating an initial £25,000 to WIRES and Vets Beyond Borders. Both charities are working tirelessly to protect the wildlife caught up in the bushfires. Cushelle will also support the longer-term recovery efforts and the preservation of koalas in Australia.
Essity’s product portfolio also includes Velvet toilet tissue: a must-stock brand in the toilet tissue category with value sales of almost €1.7 million**. The brand has a strong focus on its product quality while offering shoppers value across a wide variety of different pack sizes. For instance, to suit all shoppers, Velvet has a core range that includes both four and nine roll pack sizes, appealing to both the basket ‘top up’ and trolley shoppers. For those shoppers who prefer to make a larger purchase, Velvet has a range of larger sized packs to cater for them. Velvet shoppers are buying more year-on-year with a 7.9% volume increase for those shoppers who have purchased Velvet in both 2018 and 2019.
Meanwhile, Plenty is one of Ireland’s leading household towel brands with value sales of over €5.4 million**. In 2019, Plenty launched new Plenty Handy Towels. As we all know, messes and spills don’t just happen in the kitchen. New Plenty Handy Towels – with convenient single sheets of kitchen towel – are specially designed for quick, one-handed dispensing, no matter where the mess is. This absorbent and strong household towel is always at hand, and with its attractive pack design, it looks great in every room of the house.
With convenient single sheets of kitchen towel, new Plenty Handy Towels are specially designed for quick, one-handed dispensing, no matter where the mess is
The focus for the Plenty brand in 2020 is to continue to drive shoppers to stores through a strong TV and VOD campaign across the year. Plenty advertising will continue to reach key householders with kids building on the brand’s heritage as a household hero with the evolution of much-loved brand ambassador Juan Sheet – into ‘Super Juan’!
According to Simon Pickering, country manager, Essity Ireland Ltd: “We have strong media and brand plans in place across Cushelle, Velvet and Plenty for 2020 to ensure that our market leading brands remain at the forefront of consumers’ minds when shopping the paper category.”
Essity is a leading global hygiene and health company dedicated to improving wellbeing through products and solutions, essentials for everyday life. The name Essity stems from the words essentials and necessities. The company’s sustainable business model creates value for people and nature. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands Tena and regional brands such as Cushelle, Plenty, Velvet, Bodyform and Demak’Up.
Essity has 47,000 employees and net sales in 2018 amounted to approximately SEK 118.5bn (EUR 11.6bn). The headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.
For more information, visit www.essity.com.
*(Source: Kantar Worldpanel MAT Data to 31 Dec 2019)
**(Source: Kantar Worldpanel MAT Data to 1 Dec 2019)
Bring value home
Available in both four roll and 16 roll price-marked packs, Homestead’s Comfort toilet roll offers strong day-to-day value for consumers
The Homestead paper range continues to be one of the strongest categories within the Homestead portfolio. 2019 was an extremely competitive year in this category and the sales of Homestead tissue continue year-on-year to be highly positive.
The paper range, which includes a variety of toilet rolls, kitchen towels and man-size tissues, is produced to the highest quality using 100% virgin pulp paper sourced from well-managed forests. According to the group, its selection rivals any market leader while remaining well priced in order to compete successfully in the private label market.
Homestead’s Luxury Soft three-ply toilet tissue introduces a more luxurious product, but with the same great price
2019 saw the continuation of Homestead’s man-size tissue and Comfort toilet tissue four roll and 16 roll price-marked packs which gives day to day value for the consumer. Homestead replaced its Soft two-ply toilet tissue with new Luxury Soft three-ply quilted toilet tissue to introduce a more luxurious product to the range at the same great price.
The launch of Homestead Absorb jumbo two-roll kitchen towel introduced a more absorbent kitchen towel to the Homestead portfolio which has successfully replaced its Splash kitchen towel.
Homestead has introduced a more absorbent kitchen roll, aptly named Homestead Absorb
“Increasing cost in pulp paper will see changes to paper products across the market,” says Homestead brand manager Janice Gibney. “Homestead will continue to strive to remain competitive and continue to ‘Bring value home’ in what will continue to be a very competitive market in 2020.”
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