After P&G’s plans, J&J and GSK mull launches for the mass segment this year
The Rs 4,400-crore oral care market in India is likely to see a few key launches in the toothpaste segment this year. The consumer products arm of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) may launch a toothpaste under the Listerine umbrella, while GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare may relaunch its Aquafresh brand, phased out a few years earlier.
Both products are likely to be launched by the end of this year, say sources. A mail sent to GSK yielded no response, while attempts to contact J&J bore no fruit.
GSK had launched Sensodyne toothpaste earlier this year. But, this is more of a medicated product meant for sensitive teeth, say sources. A mass-market toothpaste product is what is missing at the moment, which GSK will plug with the relaunch of Aquafresh, they say.
For J&J, a foray into the toothpaste segment will expand its play in the oral care market, say experts. Its mouthwash, Listerine, is a key player in the segment. Though growing at about 20 per cent per annum, the mouthwash category is small in India in comparison to toothpaste, toothbrushes and toothpowder, respectively. Toothpaste, for the record, is estimated to be Rs 3,200 crore in size, followed by the toothbrush segment at Rs 800 crore, toothpowder at Rs 300 crore, and mouthwash being Rs 100 crore.
So, extending the Listerine brand to toothpastes makes sense, say experts. Internationally, J&J already has a Listerine Essential Care Toothpaste, while Aquafresh is a key product in the GSK portfolio.
J&J and GSK would be the third company after Procter and Gamble to actively plan a foray into the toothpaste segment this year. Business Standard had reported on March 29 that P&G was contemplating the launch of Crest, its international toothpaste brand, this year.
These products will directly compete with incumbents Colgate, Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and Dabur. Colgate is the clear leader in toothpastes, in both volume and value, with 42 per cent share each. It again leads in toothbrushes at 36 per cent volume share (value is 39 per cent), though P&G's Oral-B is putting up a strong fight at 24 per volume share (value is 23 per cent), followed by Close-up and Pepsodent from HUL, which together hold 21.8 per cent volume share (value, 20 per cent).
In toothpowder, Colgate leads in the white segment with 70 per volume share (value share is even more), while Dabur leads in the red segment with 70 per cent volume share again (value is more than 70 per cent).
Kishore Biyani's Future Group is also entering the fray with its private label.
