Personal Care

Essity is a leading global player in personal care

Offering

Essity’s offering includes Incontinence Products, Medical Solutions, Baby Care and Feminine Care. Products are sold under brands such as TENA, JOBST, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Nosotras and Saba, and as retailer brands.

In Incontinence Products, with the globally leading brand TENA, Essity offers a broad range of incontinence products that also includes skincare products, wet wipes and wash gloves. In Baby Care, Essity offers open baby diapers and pant diapers as well as baby care products such as wet wipes, shampoo, lotion and baby oil. In Europe, Essity offers baby diapers under its own Libero and Lotus brands and as retailer brands. In Feminine Care, Essity offers a broad product portfolio that includes pads, panty liners, tampons, intimate soaps and intimate wipes. In Medical Solutions, Essity offers products and services in wound care, vascular and orthopedics.

Distribution channels are the retail trade, online sales, pharmacies, hospitals, distributors and care institutions.

Market positions

Essity is the global market leader in the market for incontinence products with the TENA brand, holding a global market share that is about twice the size of the second largest player. Essity is the market leader in Europe, Asia (excluding Japan) and Latin America. Essity is the third largest player in Asia (including Japan) and the fourth largest in North America.

In Baby Care, Essity is the world’s fifth largest player in the area and the second largest in Europe. Essity’s strongest market is the Nordic region, where the Libero brand is the market leader. Examples of other strong regional brands are Drypers in South East Asia and Pequeñin in South America.

In Feminine Care, Essity is the world’s sixth largest player, the third largest in Europe and the market leader in Latin America. Examples of regional brands supported by Essity’s global brand platform in Feminine Care include Libresse in the Nordic region, Russia, Eastern Europe, the Netherlands and Malaysia, Bodyform in the UK, Nana in France, the Middle East and North Africa, and Saba and Nosotras in Latin America.

In Medical Solutions, in the product categories in which the company is active, Essity is the world’s fourth largest player. Essity is the market leader in Europe and Latin America. Essity is the largest global player in vascular and the third largest player in orthopedics. In wound care, which includes acute and advanced wound care, Essity is the sixth largest player. Essity holds the number two position within acute wound care. Examples of strong brands include JOBST, Leukoplast, Cutimed, Delta-Cast and Actimove.

Production facilities

At the end of 2018, Personal Care had production at 37 sites in 24 countries.

Operations in 2018

Net sales increased 11.7% to SEK 45,342m (40,586). Organic net sales, which exclude exchange rate effects, acquisitions and divestments, increased 3.0%, of which volume accounted for 2.4% and price/mix for 0.6%. Organic net sales in mature markets increased 2.3%. In emerging markets, which accounted for 36% of net sales, organic net sales increased 4.4%. Acquisitions increased net sales by 5.8%, of which the acquisition of BSN medical accounted for 4.8% and acquisitions relating to the increase in the shareholding in associates in Latin America accounted for 1.0%. Exchange rate effects increased net sales by 2.9%.

For Incontinence Products, with the globally leading TENA brand, organic net sales increased 4.2%. For Baby Care, organic net sales decreased 2.3%. For Feminine Care, organic net sales increased 9.3%.

Adjusted operating profit before amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets (adjusted EBITA), increased 7% (declined 6% excluding currency translation effects and acquisitions) to SEK 6,354m (5,937). The increase was mainly related to a better price/mix, higher volumes, cost savings and the acquisition of BSN medical. Higher raw material and energy costs and higher distribution costs negatively impacted earnings. Acquisitions increased profit by 7%, of which the acquisition of BSN medical accounted for 6% and acquisitions relating to the increase in the shareholding in associates in Latin America accounted for 1%.