Meeting User Needs and Developing High-Value-Added Products

「The product reduces plastic use by 12% versus the conventional product, combining ease of use with environmental consideration.」

「We have advanced development of the “FS Ellipla” brand to help reduce and eliminate plastics by using paper, a biodegradable and renewable raw material. We offer a lineup of 37 products in total, comprising 15 Ellipla products and 22 others, including development products made from high-strength lightweight tissue paper as alternatives to plastics requiring high rigidity and water and oil resistance, such as knives and stirrers, and to films used as secondary food packaging. We are proposing these products according to specific applications and customer requirements.」

「In converted paper products, the establishment of price revisions, the repeated launch of promotional products in baby care and feminine care, and strong healthcare-related products drove sales growth. In addition, the pet care brand “Elleair Pet Kimi Omoi” attracted attention, including coverage in various media, after releasing a brand song written specifically for it by Ayaka (絢香), its singer-songwriter brand ambassador.」

「In converted paper products, we repeatedly introduced new and renewed products reflecting consumer requests, collaboration products with celebrities and outdoor brands, and design-focused promotional products, which were well received.」

「In converted paper products, we repeatedly introduced new and renewed products reflecting consumer requests and design-focused promotional products featuring popular characters, which were well received.」

「In converted paper products, we repeatedly introduced new and renewed products reflecting consumer requests, collaboration products with celebrities and major outdoor brands, and design-focused promotional products featuring popular characters, all of which were well received.」

「In absorbent products, the domestic business exceeded the prior-year period in both sales volume and value by expanding the lineup of character products, introducing collaboration products with celebrities and well-known brands that appeal to a broad range of consumers, and repeatedly launching highly design-oriented promotional products in categories such as wet wipes and masks.」

「Sales of the new products launched in August, “Raku-Raku Cook Kitchen Paper” and “Plus+ Kirei Paper Towels,” remained strong. As a result of expanding sales of products aligned with market trends, including soft-pack tissues and double-length toilet rolls, sales volume and value both exceeded the prior-year quarter.」

「In feminine care products, sales volume and value both exceeded the prior-year quarter, helped by the April launch of “elis Compact Guard × M/mika ninagawa Collaboration Product,” created in collaboration with photographer and film director Mika Ninagawa, and its favorable reception among consumers.」

「For baby diapers, we launched two products simultaneously: Goon Plus, formulated with the same moisturizing ingredients as Elleair Luxury Moisturizing Tissue, and Goon Fresh and Airy, whose packaging features Disney characters as part of the renewal of an existing product. Supported by consumers, these products achieved a substantial increase in market share.」

「In feminine care products, we expanded the lineup of “elis Skin Feel,” responding to consumer needs, and refreshed the packaging with a clean, natural design, which was well received.」

「As a result of installing CNF molded components in the race car of the motorsports team “SAMURAI SPEED,” we successfully reduced the vehicle’s weight by 12.6kg.」

「Sales of the “GOO.N Night Series,” a dedicated diaper line for bedwetting, a condition for which demand has increased in recent years, grew. However, for the baby category overall, sales volume and value both fell below the prior-year quarter because of the market contraction caused by the declining birthrate, in addition to a substantial decline in demand following the consumption tax increase.」

「In retail channels, sales of adult incontinence products expanded steadily, including the new “Attento Ultra-Thin Super-Fit Tape Type, Prevents Back and Side Leakage” and “Attento Long-Lasting Leakage Protection Pads, Wide Type, 4 Absorptions.” These products were well regarded because products established in hospitals and care facilities could continue to be used after users returned home.」

「Adult incontinence products exceeded the prior-year quarter in both sales volume and value, driven by the launch of the new “Attento Ultra-Thin Super-Fit Tape Type, Prevents Back and Side Leakage” and “Attento Long-Lasting Leakage Protection Pads,” a wide-format product offering reassurance even to first-time pad users, as well as steady acquisition of new customers through business channels.」

「For adult incontinence products, we launched “Attento Super-Thin Pants, Underwear-Like Refreshing Plus” (6 items), which uses the “Premium Stretching Material” in an elastic-film format rather than conventional thread elastic, and “Attento One-Pad-Per-Night Secure Pants” (2 items), which offers the highest absorbency in the pants market.」

「In retail channels, sales of adult incontinence products expanded for “Attento Super-Thin Pants, Underwear-Like Refreshing Plus” and “Attento Ultra-Thin Pants, Underwear-Like Comfort Plus,” which offer new underwear-like value, as well as differentiated products such as “Attento 100% Cotton Natural Material Pads” in the growing continence market. In business channels, new distribution to large companies operating across wide areas progressed smoothly.」

「Adult incontinence products exceeded the prior-year quarter in both sales volume and value, driven by the launch of “Attento Ultra-Thin Pants, Underwear-Like Comfort Plus,” which uses stretchable materials to provide new underwear-like value in both appearance and comfort and enabled the company to acquire new users; the launch into the growing continence market of “Attento 100% Cotton Natural Material Pads,” differentiated by their natural-fiber topsheet; and continued steady gains in new distribution outlets through business channels.」

「For adult diapers, we launched Attento Thin Pants Underwear Comfort Plus, a new product using stretch material that offers the new value of looking and feeling like underwear, and acquired new users. Together with steady growth in new accounts through institutional channels, this resulted in both sales volumes and value exceeding the same quarter of the previous year.」

「In addition to the product lines in established categories such as tissue and absorbent products described above, as part of the Group’s efforts to develop a diversified, multi-business platform and broaden its product range, we launched the world’s first cellulose nanofiber-containing toilet cleaner, “Kire Kira! Thorough-Cleaning Sheets with One Kire Kira! Toilet Cleaner Sheet.” In October 2017, responding to growing health and hygiene awareness accompanying changes in housing structures, we launched the new floor wiper “Kire Kira! Wiper Thoroughly Clean,” among other products, developing and launching products with added value from the consumer’s perspective.」

「Wet-wipe sales remained strong, supported by the launch of the new Kirekira! Wiper Thoroughly Clean and the relaunch of Kirekira! Toilet Cleaner Thorough Cleaning Sheets, all products of which contain CNF.」

「Feminine care products benefited from the relaunched slim napkin elis Megami Suhada no Kimochi and the Natula absorbent liner, whose consumer recognition improved through ongoing promotions.」

「Sales of Kirekira! Thorough Toilet Cleaning Sheets Nano EX, the world's first toilet cleaner containing cellulose nanofiber, remained strong.」

「In feminine care products, the company relaunched elis Megami Suhada no Kimochi, designed to reduce a sticky feeling, following the development of an embossed surface material that improved gentleness to the skin by 172% compared with the company's previous products.」

「Sales volumes and value of tissue products both exceeded those of the same quarter of the previous year, following the relaunch of the Zeitaku Hoshitsu Tissue and expanded sales of value-added products such as Deodorizing+ Toilet.」

「For adult diapers, the company launched Attento Sports Pants as new underwear that people who are concerned about the increasingly common symptoms of incontinence but do not use disposable pants can put on without resistance. As a result, sales volumes and value both exceeded those of the same quarter of the previous year.」

「The Group focuses on developing and improving products in response to changing user needs, while advancing the commercialization of value-added products, developing new fields such as multi-function products, and conducting research and development into pharmaceuticals and new materials.」