The US OTC incontinence market offers significant growth potential, with retail sales expected to reach $2.97 billion by 2024, driven by a 6.2% growth rate. This growth is fueled by an aging population and increased health awareness among younger consumers. Demand for these products has risen as urinary incontinence becomes more common, especially in older adults. Disposable items dominate the market, making up about 65% of sales. However, there’s a noticeable shift towards natural and eco-friendly options, like organic cotton or bamboo pads, reflecting a growing preference for sustainability. For brands to thrive, they must focus on innovation and personalization, focusing on different types of bladder leakage (low and high), and delivering discreet, comfortable, and natural solutions, while promoting inclusive marketing and reducing stigma. Investing in technology and inclusive design will also be paramount for future competitiveness and growth.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Market growth and drivers responsible for total growth in incontinence sales
- Bladder issues experienced in the past 12 months
- Impact of bladder issues on consumers
- Incontinence products used, and causes of incontinence
- Usage and interest in incontinence product innovations
- Purchase locations and influencers of incontinence products
- Attitudes and behaviors toward incontinence products
- Innovations and marketing strategies in the incontinence market
Incontinence remains a sensitive issue that affects individuals of all ages. Brands must prioritize minimizing its physical and emotional impact before attempting to advance the market
David Hamlette, Research Analyst; Health and Wellbeing
Market Definitions
This Report includes products to manage adult incontinence, including the following:
- Absorbent pads
- Liners
- Underwear/briefs
- Men’s shields/guards
- Implantable bladder support devices
- Bed underpads
*OTC and prescription medications for adult incontinence are excluded from this Report
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Executive Summary
- What you need to know
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
- Eliminate disruption of incontinence regardless of bladder leakage levels
- Focus on different life stages to guide NPD
- Recognize the disparity between what consumers want and the number of launch claims
- Graph 1: top five launch claims in incontinence products, 2019-24
- Encourage all ages to stop suffering in silence through destigmatization
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Market Dynamics
- Market context
- Annual inflation sits at 2.5% as of August – the lowest it has been since March 2021
- Graph 2: headline CPI and core CPI, 2021-24
- Consumer sentiment rebounds after a number of months on the slide
- Graph 3: consumer sentiment index, 2022-24
- Market drivers
- An ageing population creates necessity for incontinence products
- GLP-1 wave effecting weight management
- Proactive healthcare become more important, especially for younger consumers
- Market size and forecast
- Retail sales and forecast of incontinence products
- Market share/brand share
- Sales of incontinence products, by company and brand
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Bladder issues experienced
- Urge and stress incontinence symptoms leading the pack
- Graph 4: Bladder issues experienced, 2024
- Do not overlook men in a women-dominated space
- Graph 5: bladder issues experienced, by gender and age, 2024
- Alleviate disruptions in parents’ already-packed routines
- Graph 6: bladder issues experienced, by parental status, 2024
- Highlight clear timelines on packaging to show minimal disruption
- Impact of bladder issues on consumers
- Incontinence is increasingly disrupting consumers’ lifestyles
- Graph 7: bladder issue impact, trended, 2019-24,
- Encourage 18-34s to take action before impact becomes severe
- Graph 8: bladder issue impact, by age, 2024,
- Hybrid schedules lead to different awareness of issues
- Graph 9: bladder issue impact, by work from home status, 2024,
- Incontinence product usage
- Consumers seem to gravitate toward disposable over reusable
- Graph 10: Incontinence products used – disposable, 2024
- Graph 11: incontinence products used – reusable, 2024
- Men not maximizing product usage – even those made for them
- Graph 12: select incontinence products used – reusable, by gender – male, 2024
- Causes of incontinence
- Causes of incontinence show up in many forms
- Graph 13: causes of incontinence, 2024
- Assist in reducing ambiguity through education, and diagnostics
- Educate parents and older consumers to not just recognize issues, but explain them
- Graph 14: cause of incontinence – I don’t know the cause, by gender and parental status, 2024
- Control younger consumers’ leaks as they prioritize physical health
- Usage and interest in incontinence innovations
- Consumers looking for alternative solutions to their incontinence issues
- Graph 15: usage and interest in incontinence products, 2024
- Reach Black consumers through genetic testing in an attempt to prevent issues
- Graph 16: usage and interest in incontinence products, by race, 2024
- Parents want solutions that fit into their everyday lives
- Graph 17: interest in incontinence products – any interest, by parental status, 2024
- Purchase locations of incontinence products
- Mass retailers are still in the lead, but don’t overlook single purchase, and cost-effective locations
- Graph 18: incontinence products purchase locations, trended, 2019-24
- Advertise discretion and experimentation through online one-time purchases
- Utilize dollar stores as a way to serve the entire family
- Graph 19: select incontinence products purchase locations, by number of generations in household, 2024
- Incontinence purchase influencers
- Fit leading the pack with practicality and efficacy trailing close behind
- Graph 20: ranking of purchase influencers for incontinence products, 2024
- Recognize basic priority before factors such as sustainability
- Align incontinence products with age-specific needs
- Graph 21: purchase influencers for incontinence products, by age, 2024
- Attitudes and behaviors towards incontinence products
- Consumers prioritize effectiveness over sustainability, while also continuing to need support through destigmatization
- Graph 22: attitudes and behaviors around incontinence products, 2024
- Be creative in getting older consumers to talk about incontinence issues
- Graph 23: select attitudes and behaviors around incontinence products – feel comfortable discussing incontinence with friends/family, by age, 2024
- Incontinence brands utilize Men’s Health Awareness Month to help tackle male incontinence
- Set expectations for products for what they can realistically do for different liquids
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Innovation and Marketing strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Aunt Flow addresses after care and diposal
- Medline introduces wetness sensing
- Marketing and advertising
- PBE invests to double the production of plus-size incontinence products
- Inclusive incontinence products remove compound feelings of dependency
- Make discussions about serious issues feel more approachable and less daunting
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Appendix
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Market size methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast fan chart methodology
- Retail sales and forecast of incontinence products, inflation adjusted
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