Dual users, innovative products and teens will boost category in '90s

Drug Store News, Sept 30, 1991

Dual Users, Innovative Products and Teens Will Boost Category in '90s

To capitalize on all segments of feminine hygiene, drug and discount store operators should target the 58% of women who use both internal tampons and at least one form of external protection. This dual user group provides the biggest opportunity for incremental sales and profits.

That doesn't mean expanding space beyond the 93.5 linear feet that drug stores generally devote to sanitary protection, or 117.4 feet at mass merchants. It does mean planogramming effectively to assure consistent in-stocks on favored forms and brands. That builds store loyalty in women shoppers, a primary base for drug and discount stores, and will enable drug stores to build on the category's $19.50 average sales/month/ linear foot/store; at discounters, the figure is $43.56.

Since tampons generate 37% of dollar sales and 32% of unit sales, they should have a minimum of 25% of shelf space based on DPP models. Tampons are three times more cost-efficient to handle than pads. Two out of three tampon users are brand loyal - three times greater than pad users.

Tampax Tampons, the No. 1 brand accounting for 60% of tampon category sales, warrants 60% of tampon facings to assure satisfied customers and maximum ROI. Stores sell more Tampax Tampons than any all other tampons combined. Tampax Flushable Tampons Regular and Super outsell the next two brands combined, and enjoy 85% brand loyalty.

On a dollar sales basis, 40-count Tampax Flushable is the No. 1-selling brand/size in the category. Measuring unit sales, 10-count Tampax Flushable is the best seller moving more boxes annually than any other brand or size.

The Tampax Flushable tampon, the market leader for over 50 years is also an environmental leader: its applicator is biodegradable. This year all Tampax packaging will be made from recycled cardboard.

Only Tampax Tampons offer women the complete choice of: flushable, plastic or compact (the newly introduced Compak [R]) applicators. Compak [R] appeals to younger women, sports a contemporary image and is discrete for added social comfort, say, at work or health clubs. It has quickly earned shelf space at major chains by replacing other overstocked brands. Already, 88% of Compak users said they would rebuy; 86% were extremely satisfied with the brand.

The teen user population will grow over 14% through the 1990s - the only expanding user segment this decade. The Tampax brand nurtures this developing market through classroom health education programs that teach and sample 2 million newly menstruating 12- to 13-year-olds each year. A 24-hour 800 phone number answers questions and sends sampler packs. Advertising will reach 95% of teen girls, age 12-17 at least 15 times a year.

The 1991 advertising theme is "More women trust their bodies to Tampax." It reinforces the brand's superiority and trust. An extensive television and print media schedule is augmented by national FSIs, couponing, samples and in-store promotions.