Growth in the traditional household paper market has slowed down, making emerging paper products the new driver of industry growth. The outstanding performance of these emerging products reflects consumers’ growing demand for specialized paper products for specific uses, opening up new growth avenues for household paper brands.

As one of the key new growth engines, wet toilet paper has delivered impressive results. According to household panel data from Worldpanel: in the 52 weeks ending October 3, 2025, sales of wet toilet paper surged by 35% year-on-year, contributing 30% of the total growth in the household paper sector. A steadily expanding consumer base has fueled sustained growth: the penetration rate of wet toilet paper rose from 13% in 2023 to 22% in the past year. Meanwhile, consumers are making purchases more frequently, with a marked increase in repeat customers.

The consumer adoption of wet toilet paper is an evolutionary process rather than an immediate replacement for traditional dry toilet paper. Wet toilet paper first gained traction in niche scenarios such as menstrual care and travel, before gradually extending to everyday use. The more application scenarios a product caters to, the easier it is to guide consumers to form usage habits, thus driving their transition from trial to regular consumption.

Growth Driven by Young Childless Households and Adult Households; Premium Products Gain Greater Popularity

In terms of consumer demographics, young childless households and adult households are the core customer groups for wet toilet paper. Data shows their purchase propensity indices for this category stand at 146 and 117 respectively. These two groups are also the primary drivers of market growth: in the 52 weeks ending October 3, 2025, their sales growth rates both exceeded 43%, significantly outpacing the average growth rate of the overall consumer base.

Moreover, these two household types boast stronger purchasing power, with their average household spending notably higher than the market average. Young childless households make purchases more frequently, while adult households opt for larger quantities per purchase. Although the reasons behind their higher spending differ, both groups are willing to pay a premium for high-value products.

Product Parity Trend Coexists with High-value Innovation; Emotional Value Emerges as a Key Differentiator

The wet toilet paper market is witnessing a product parity trend, with overall prices trending downward and mid-to-low priced products registering a 61% growth rate. Nevertheless, consumers’ demand for multi-scenario applicable products continues to drive brands to innovate in high-value-added offerings.

The functionality of wet toilet paper has evolved from basic water-based formulas in the early days to products infused with herbal extracts, probiotics and other ingredients, with a greater focus on users’ health and care needs during special periods. Young childless households have higher portability requirements: as their travel frequency increases, mini-pack wet toilet paper has become their top choice, with this group’s consumption frequency of mini-packs surging by 8.4% year-on-year, leading all household types.

In addition, emotional value remains a crucial demand that cannot be overlooked. For instance, fragrance designs such as floral and tea scents can effectively enhance consumers’ user experience and serve as a key differentiating feature of products. Data indicates that adult households have a preference index of up to 209 for scented products, with their consumption frequency increasing by 18.5% year-on-year, demonstrating their strong recognition of experience-oriented consumption for self-pleasure.

Diversified Channel Layout Enables Precise Matching of People and Products

In terms of distribution channels, consumer choices for purchasing wet toilet paper are highly fragmented. Traditional e-commerce platforms and offline supermarkets/hypermarkets are facing mounting growth pressure, while emerging channels such as membership stores, discount stores and interest-driven e-commerce are rising rapidly.

Diversified channels have, to a certain extent, catered to the needs of different consumer groups. Among online channels, young childless households prefer comprehensive e-commerce platforms, which facilitate horizontal comparisons of products and prices across different platforms; adult households, on the other hand, are more inclined toward interest-driven e-commerce, where they are more likely to recognize product functions through influencer-recommended scenarios. In offline channels, young childless households tend to choose membership stores, valuing quality assurance at competitive prices; adult households, however, frequent discount stores more often to meet their immediate needs at a low cost.

From the perspective of overall consumer behavior, "smart consumption" is a common trait of both young childless households and adult households: they opt for cost-effective channels for shopping while remaining willing to pay for high-value products that truly meet their needs, embodying a consumer mindset that balances consumption upgrading and rationality.