DIAPER RUSH: GRAYING POPULATION FEEDING BILLION-DOLLAR INDUSTRY
CHICAGO/TOKYO—THE time may not be far off when more adults need diapers than babies as the population grows older, potentially a huge opportunity for manufacturers of incontinence products—if they can lift the stigma that has long constrained sales.
The market for adult diapers, disposable underwear and absorbent pads is growing fast, up 9 percent last year to $9 billion, having doubled in the last decade, according to Euromonitor.
But manufacturers like market leaders reckon only half of the more than 400 million adults likely to be affected by weak bladders, are buying the right products, because they are too embarrassed.
Companies are trying various methods to change attitudes, including making products more discreet, avoiding terms like diapers or nappies, and placing items in the personal care aisle, next to deodorants and menstrual pads, rather than in the baby products section.
They are also trying to normalize discussions around the subject through advertising.
In Japan, where adult incontinence products have outsold baby diaper sales since around 2013 due to a rapidly aging population, market leader Unicharm Corp. has adopted the phrase “choi more” in its advertising, which translates as “lil’ dribble,” to make light of the problem.
“What we are doing is trying to let people know that incontinence, even among young people, is normal,” said Unicharm spokesperson Hitoshi Watanabe.
The company is focusing particularly on people with mild bladder issues where it sees the biggest growth as people lead more active lives.