MamyPoko maker eyes 70% of Thai share

Uni-Charm (Thailand) plans to dominate the baby-diaper market with a 70-per-cent share by next year. 

The Thai unit of Japan’s Unicharm this year purchased Myanmar Care Products, a manufacturer of diapers and sanitary napkins, after acquiring the Diana factory in Vietnam last year. The purchases are part of the parent firm’s strategy to be the No 1 player in the world’s diaper and sanitary-napkin market by 2020.

The Thai operation targets sales growth of 10-20 per cent this year. 

Takumi Teragawa, managing director of Uni-Charm (Thailand), the manufacturer of MamyPoko baby diapers, said Thailand was now the Japanese company’s third-biggest production base for baby and adult diapers and sanitary napkins after China and Indonesia. 

Uni-Charm (Thailand) also ranks fourth-largest in terms of exports after Unicharm’s operations in Japan, China and Indonesia. 

Uni-Charm (Thailand) posted Bt14 billion in sales last year, 70 per cent of which were MamyPoko products. Thailand’s total baby-diaper market was worth Bt12 billion last year and increases by 10 per cent annually.

The company yesterday introduced MamyPoko Pants Ultra Protect, aimed at the economy diaper segment, in a bid to boost sales by 20 per cent this year. The company expected its MamyPoko brand to control 70 per cent of the local baby-diaper market by 2014.

MamyPoko Pants Ultra Protect targets parents who looking for pants-type diapers that are affordable without sacrificing their baby’s comfort. 

Terakawa said the new product was designed for parents struggling to manage their family expenses, while also looking for pants with good absorption and no leaks.

“MamyPoko Pants Ultra Protect is a result of our 13-year experience in Thailand and insight of parents’ real needs,” he said. 

“We know that parents want their young children to be dry and happy, which boosts their babies’ development. We have therefore invested continuously in research and development to create products with good quality, especially for absorbent function, yet offering [good value]. Finally, we came up with MamyPoko Pants Ultra Protect, which combines these two key advantages together. 

“The new product’s key strengths will enhance our success in the market, maintain our leadership and enhance our market positioning as the brand with great products that best address all needs in all market segments. We expect that by 2014, MamyPoko will become the No 1 in mid-market-segment pants with a 70-per-cent share,” Teragawa said.