Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 31, 1995 TAG: 9505310060
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
You buy bathroom tissue, you use it. But beyond choosing between a roll of white or pastel, few consumers give it a second thought.
Enter the nation's leading toilet paper manufacturers, who are rolling out top-of-the-line tissue products in an attempt to upgrade the humdrum image of this household staple.
New products on the market include paper that doesn't disintegrate when wet, or contain hypoallergenic ingredients for sensitive skin or baking powder for extra freshness.
Greater competition is driving the innovation, said Chip Dillon, a paper industry analyst at Salomon Brothers in New York. Manufacturers want consumers to reach for their product and not just the first or cheapest thing on the shelf, he said.
``The industry is better managed today,'' Dillon said. ``In order to improve the business they are trying to differentiate the products.''
Toilet paper is a $3 billion industry in the United States. The leading brand is Procter & Gamble Co.'s Charmin, which has 30 percent of the market, followed by Quilted Northern with 15 percent, the firm said.
Richmond-based James River Corp., the manufacturer of Quilted Northern, introduced new Quilted Northern Wet or Dry late last year after research that cost $1 million and required three years.
The premium product is the first to use an additive that holds wet paper together temporarily, said Mary Nardone, brand manager for Quilted Northern in Norwalk, Conn.
The product allows for better cleansing and is ideal for people who like to use moist tissue to remove makeup, she said. The additive eventually dissolves and the tissue won't clog drains, she said.
Scott Paper Co. will introduce a revamped Cottonelle this summer. Three types will be available - regular; tissue laced with baking powder and a hypoallergenic product.
by CNB