Pampers in slow retreat in nappy war

The position of Procter & Gamble’s Pampers as the UK’s best-selling nappy brand is coming under increasing threat from Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies, according to the latest industry figures.

The position of Procter & Gamble’s Pampers as the UK’s best-selling nappy brand is coming under increasing threat from Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies, according to the latest industry figures.

According to the latest IRI Market Research, Pampers has seen its brand volume shares declining since 1999, while Huggies has been experiencing a steady increase in its annual average shares for the same period.

In 1999, Huggies had an average market share by volume of 22.7 per cent compared with Pampers’ share of 57.7 per cent. The following year, Huggies’ share increased by more than six per cent to 29.3 per cent. Pampers, however, declined by 3.4 per cent to a volume share of 54.3 per cent in 2000.

In 2001, its share declined further, to 51.6 per cent, while Huggies experienced another increase – to 30.3 per cent. Huggies also undertook a relaunch, with an £8m TV campaign through Ogilvy & Mather. The relaunch included three new nappy ranges, based on babies’ stages of development.

Since then P&G has followed the Huggies relaunch by replacing its Pampers Premium range with a line called Pampers EasyUps, also consisting of three products based on a baby’s stages of development (MW November 1, 2001). Pampers also launched a TV campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi. The agency was recently awarded the global account for Pampers.