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Regional Report: Germany RR
Fear of the unknown, lockdown, panic buying and a determined new hygiene regimen sharply redirected this classic mature European tissue market as consumers searched for a measure of control where they could.
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By Ian Bell Global Lead - Home and Technology, Euromonitor International
he German tissue market is representative of many mature Western markets: a decade or two of low, relatively unimpressive but steady growth rates, typical of markets that boast very high household penetration levels. Throw a pandemic into the equation, consumers looking to tissue as an agent of hygiene, extended periods of home seclusion and supply fears leading to domestic stockpiling, and we see a market transformed. German retail tissue had barely been able to muster a 2% value CAGR (2006-2019) and in 2020 this morphed into a 12% spike in total retail tissue sales. Once again, the experience of German consumers is fairly similar to the bulk of Western Europe where a retail boom had its own counterpoint in
the collapse of the AfH market as lifestyles changed beyond all recognition.
Toilet paper – a pandemic barometer Of the core retail tissue categories, toilet paper experienced the most rapid growth in 2020 with a 16% increase in value, associated with the prevalence of stay-athome policies and stockpiling behaviour. Indeed, toilet paper proved an international curiosity in 2020, apparent consumer ‘fear of the unknown’ and an attempt to have a semblance of control led many German consumers to panic buy copious quantities of toilet paper, resulting in these products becoming out of stock. One school of thought suggests that images from Australia, a country which does have supply chain weakness due to the
GERMAN RETAIL TISSUE HAD BARELY BEEN ABLE TO MUSTER A 2% VALUE CAGR (2006-2019) AND IN 2020 THIS MORPHED INTO A 12% SPIKE IN TOTAL RETAIL TISSUE SALES. ONCE AGAIN, THE EXPERIENCE OF GERMAN CONSUMERS IS FAIRLY SIMILAR TO THE BULK OF WESTERN EUROPE WHERE A RETAIL BOOM HAD ITS OWN COUNTERPOINT IN THE COLLAPSE OF THE AFH MARKET AS LIFESTYLES CHANGED BEYOND ALL RECOGNITION.
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Tissue World Magazine | July/August 2021
Source: Euromonitor International Tissue World Magazine | July/August 2021
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Regional Report: Germany
A MARKET TRANSFORMED BY 12% SPIKE IN TOTAL RETAIL TISSUE SALES
