UK tissue market dominated by Kimberley-Clark due to its Andrex brand

The UK tissue market has been rather consistent over the past five years, increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1% through to 2011.

Kimberley-Clark remains the leading company with a 29% value share. This is mostly related to the good performance of Andrex, the biggest retail brand in retail tissue. Despite the controversy at the end of 2010 when Kimberley-Clark replaced the real puppies with computer-generated ones, the innovation and launches in 2011 all helped to drive sales and attract new consumers to premium products.

Velvet continued to do well as its strategy for planting new trees for each pack sold was successful with some consumers. Most of its success, however, is related to the brand's quality and the stripped down packaging and communication that it uses as a communication tool.

Kleenex, also from Kimberley-Clark had a good year due to the brand awareness and the fact that consumers associate tissues with Kleenex. Also, the company invested in marketing and introduced a new menthol range to its Balsam one.

Toilet paper was by far the most valuable type of retail tissue, corresponding to around 68% of total retail tissue, with sales reaching £1,150 million in 2011. Compared with other types of retail tissue, toilet paper does not compete against an alternative product type. Therefore it has high household penetration and leadership in retail volume and value sales.

Andrex has been the toilet tissue market leader since 1961, growing by more than £20 million from 2010 to 2011. With a 33% value share and 27.4% volume share of the dry toilet roll market, its success is echoed in the plethora of product, packaging and advertising awards bestowed on the brand.

The future looks bright for the UK tissue market, the reason being that consumers will keep on buying such products and manufacturer innovation will introduce added value, making consumers tap into more premium products.

For more information on the UK tissue market, see the latest research: UK Tissue Market

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