Pampers lightens the weight of its layers close Panel open Panel Plume Le Figaro APP -icon-512px V1 1-Style / logotypes / Le Figaro / apps / Jeux
Chaque semaine, Gundula, 29 ans, vient chercher ses 35 couches gratuites à Schwalbach, dans la banlieue de Francfort, au centre de recherche de Procter & Gamble. Elle rapporte les couches usagées de son bébé de six mois. Ces dernières sont ensuite scannées au laboratoire, afin d'étudier leur capacité d'absorption.
1,200 families are part of Pampers' consumer panel in Schwalbach. It was here that 350 researchers from the American group designed Dry Max, Pampers' new ultra-fine layer, presented as its "biggest innovation in 25 years."
Thanks to a new generation of microsensors, better distributed in the layer, Pampers has eliminated cellulose. Lighter, the coat weighs only 30 grams, 14% less than the previous version, and 57% less than the Pampers 25 years ago.
Back to sources
La technologie Dry Max sera utilisée dans les couches haut de gamme de Pampers, New Baby et Active Fit. En France, les anciennes versions disparaîtront en septembre, date du lancement de Dry Max. «Nous n'augmenterons pas les prix, car nous souhaitons attirer de nouveaux consommateurs vers ce marché premium», assure Gianni Ciserani, président de P & G en Europe de l'Ouest.
Pour Procter, qui assume depuis longtemps un positionnement prix élevé pour la plupart de ses marques phares (Ariel, Head & Shoulders, Mr Propre…), il s'agit d'un retour aux sources. En septembre, le leader mondial des produits de grande consommation avait en effet surpris en investissant l'entrée de gamme avec ses couches low-costs Simply Dry, 15% moins chère que la Baby Dry (moyen de gamme) et 30% moins chère qu'Actifit. «Nous continuerons à innover à la fois sur l'entrée et le haut de gamme», commente Gianni Ciserani. Avec Simply Dry, Pampers, qui réalise 60% de ses ventes sur le milieu de gamme, souhaitait conquérir les mères de famille qui n'achetaient Pampers qu'en promotion.
Survey in the United States
In France, where the brand has been number one since the 1980s, Pampers is pleased to have reached a record market share in March thanks to simple Dry (51.5%) and to have widened the gap with private brands (30% of the market). Simply Dry's market share reached 3% in April. According to Procter, only a limited portion of the customers of its low-cost layer, the least profitable in its range, were previously buyers of the other versions of its diapers.
With Dry Max, Pampers, with $9 billion in worldwide sales, will commit "one of the largest investments in the history of the brand," says Austin Lally, Vice President of Baby Care for Western Europe. "tens of millions of euros" have been invested to review the production process in the four Pampers plants.
The United States, where Dry Max has been selling since March, has nevertheless come to ruin the party. Following complaints of possible irritations caused by the new layer, an investigation was opened yesterday.
