Underpinned by rising wellness demand, menstrual care has witnessed a consumer shift towards holistic self-care in recent years, with products and services offering security and comfort across targeted use occasions gaining favour.
Such shift in mindset and behaviour is increasingly manifested in the rise of more specialised, lifestyle-supporting product formats such as disposable period pants, with China, the leading menstrual care market making up over 40% of the global total market size in value terms, being a key catalyst.
In fact, about 14% of Chinese menstruators indicated that they currently use disposable period underwear/pants during menstruation, leading key global peers, according to Euromonitor International’s Voice of the Consumer: Health and Nutrition Survey, fielded in January and February 2024.
As the still small segment of disposable period pants gains popularity, this article examines disposable period pants’ growth drivers, dynamics and key innovations in China, and explores broader business implications for menstrual care players at large.
Cross-benefit positioning supports pants’ adoption for sleep care
Since Sofy’s launch of Comfort Nite 360 Panty dedicated for sleep care in 2013, marking the debut of disposable period pants in China, the format has seen accelerated penetration, most notably since 2019.
Awareness building and quality improvement around its unique positioning in sleep care resonate well with Chinese menstruators who have long suffered embarrassment from blood leakage during sleep
Source: Euromonitor International
Indeed, characterised by improved body fit for 360-degree leak absorption and bedsheet protection, conformity to body movements, breathability with increasingly thinning design and underwear-resembling ease of use, disposable period pants have been differentiated from competing overnight formats, such as extra-long towels (usually 40cm+), in terms of functionality and comfort, the two most sought-after menstrual product features.
According to Euromonitor’s Voice of the Consumer: Health and Nutrition Survey, fielded January to February 2024, between 2023 and 2024, Chinese menstruators with sleep issues are much keener on paying more for product features such as comfort, breathability and absorbency compared to menstruators at large. In 2024, 18% of menstruators with sleep issues in China reported they were using disposable period pants for menstruation, compared to 14% of overall Chinese menstruators.
Beyond consumer-reported product usage behaviours, in China, disposable period pants’ growth momentum can be mapped through the performance of slim/thin/ultra-thin towels without wings, the bulk of which consists of disposable period pants. With growing marketing efforts and product variety, the segment has experienced accelerated growth since 2019.
In 2023, retail value sales of slim/thin/ultra-thin towels without wings in China reached USD828 million (in current terms, fixed exchange rate), marking near 18% growth from 2022 and accounting for nearly 6% of total menstrual care industry sales, up from 5% in 2022.
Historically premium-positioned targeting higher-income urbanites, the segment has seen improved accessibility in recent years as brands diversify pricing points, driving wider adoption across income buckets. For instance, Kotex has launched three pant-format towels in the Chinese market, with unit prices ranging from CNY3 to CNY5, aimed at consumers with various purchasing powers. A slew of small-branded or unbranded pants, priced below CNY1 per unit, further boosted the format’s exposure and penetration by reaching an even more price-sensitive audience through emerging discount e-commerce channels, such as Pinduoduo (the Chinese version of Temu) and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok).
To generate greater consumer attraction and usage beyond the sleep occasion, key brands are actively improving product features to achieve better lifestyle compatibility and skin care targeting broader life scenarios, such as long business meetings and travel with limited time for toilet breaks.
Convenience and body fit are two improving areas seeing new product launches. For example, Morning Pants by Sofy feature a diaper-like waist-open-taped design, allowing users to conveniently change them without removing their trousers, making them ideal for daytime work or outings. Meanwhile, Whisper has launched upgraded disposable pants with more high-elasticity materials, ensuring that users of various body types do not experience tightness around the abdomen and thighs, thereby enhancing comfort.
Skin-forward ingredients such as plant extracts also help carve out differentiation opportunities. For instance, Sofy has introduced a limited edition of its Night Pants with shea butter to help moisturise intimate skin. Whisper has also launched a version of disposable pants for young girls that contains milk essence.
What’s next for businesses in menstrual care: A lifestyle-adapting diversification journey
China is not the lone witness of the expansion of disposable period pants. In fact, across Asia, the Americas and Europe, key menstrual care manufacturers such as Essity, Unicharm, Kao, Kimberly-Clark and Procter & Gamble have tapped the format as an integral part of their category portfolio to target underserved occasions and life stage needs such as overnight and post-partum care.
Limited target occasions beyond nighttime use and higher cost per use compared to key competing formats, such as high-absorbency towels, tampons and, in some cases, washable period underwear, may limit the format’s wider adoption. Hence, further exploration of daytime use scenarios and innovations around product fit, breathability, skin care, aesthetics and product compactness for easier packing for on the go and disposal can improve the cost-benefit equation and use applications.
Above all, growth of disposable period pants illustrates the industry-wide value creation through lifestyle-adapting diversification, as women embrace autonomy and wellbeing
Source: Euromonitor International
When deciding how such format can add the most value to existing offerings, businesses must consider local consumers’ holistic menstrual care routines including product usage, key pain points across life occasions and gender-specific income disparities.
Read our global briefing, World Market for Retail Tissue and Hygiene, for more analysis on global menstrual care industry dynamics.