CLEVELAND, OH, March 26, 2015-

Global demand for wipes is forecast to increase 5.2 percent annually through 2018 to $13.5 billion. Worldwide, sales of wipes will benefit from rising incomes and urbanization, as these factors will boost the number of consumers who can afford wipes and those who have access to wipes. Busier lifestyles -- particularly as more women work outside of the home -- will also drive demand for these convenience products. Furthermore, increases in manufacturing activity and modernization in healthcare practices, especially in developing countries, will drive gains since wipes provide better protection from linting or cross-contamination than do more traditional cloth or paper products. These and other trends are presented in World Wipes, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

The consumer market, which accounted for 60 percent of global sales in 2013, sees different trends between developed and the developing regions. Wipes demand in developed markets is driven by sales of more specialized types. Analyst Katherine Brink explains, "Developed countries have higher per capita incomes so intensity of use and overall market penetration of more basic types of consumer wipes is higher than in developing countries." As a result, sales gains in developed markets through 2018 will primarily stem from the ongoing introduction of application-specific wipes and those that incorporate high-value features.

Nonwovens Markets subscribers - click here to read the full article.

Not a subscriber?

Try Nonwovens Markets free!