FlipTrends reveals feminine hygiene category grows 7 times

Thanks to Bollywood movies, several government and non-government programmes that have promoted menstrual hygiene through health awareness schemes, the product awareness of feminine hygiene products has expanded drastically in the county. However, awareness is only one step in the road to adoption. Enabled by Flipkart, access to such feminine hygiene products has been possible in the most remote markets. The category has grown by more than 4x in the last 3 months, with 5x growth in Tier 2 cities. Over the last year, the category has grown 7 times. Consumers are consistently buying women hygiene products on Flipkart, due to good selection, deal offerings and discreet packaging provided.

North takes the lead – Emerges 1st in terms of demand

The highest demand for hygiene products is from North and East regions of India, with Punjab, Haryana and UP contributing to more than half of the demand generation. There has been a 4x growth across all regions so far this year, with North growing 5x. East region contributes around 20%. The top 10 cities in terms of demand are: Ludhiana, Jalandhar, New Delhi, Assandh, Muzaffarnagar, Bathinda, Karnal, Kolkata, Bangalore and Patiala.

Takers for sustainable products on the rise

Environment conscious women have been opting for ecofriendly alternatives which has resulted in higher demand for ecofriendly brands such as Sirona and Pee-Buddy on the platform. Apart from cost effectiveness, minimal waste generation is one of the major driving factors behind the increasing adoption of alternatives to sanitary napkins such as menstrual cups and reusable cloth pads.

Sanitary Pads still the most sought-after product

Flipkart’s FlipTrends reveal a 5x growth in the purchase of feminine hygiene products in the last 3 months on the platform. Out of the myriad products available in the menstrual hygiene category on Flipkart, the conventional sanitary pads still account for 80%. When it comes to tampons and menstrual cups, the cities which predominantly feature are from Tier 1 and metros: Kolkata, New Delhi, Bangalore, Ghaziabad, Patna, Pune, Amritsar, Ambala and Mumbai and Burdwan. Intimate care products (intimate wash, etc.), urination devices and menstrual cups see most takers after sanitary napkins. Known brands such as Whisper, Stayfree are still market leaders.