Japan's rapidly aging population is producing some interesting new business opportunities, including a booming market for adult diapers.
The Nikkei newspaper (subscription only) reported on Thursday that three Japanese paper companies--Daio, and Nippon Paper--are expanding their manufacturing facilities for what are politely called "incontinence products" due to an expected surge in demand. The Nikkei said adult diapers are expected to outsell baby diapers in Japan by 2020, but according to Unicharm, Japan's biggest diaper maker, the tipping point was in 2011.
The adult diaper market is growing at 6-10% a year, and already pulls in 140 billion yen ($1.4 billion) by catering to Japan's elderly population--it has the highest percentage of over-65s in the world, making up more than 20% of the population.
Demographics aside, adult diapers are an attractive business in their own right--they sell for as much as 2.5 times more than infant diapers, resulting in higher profit margins, and there's also a lucrative sales channel to institutions like hospitals and nursing homes. Marketing to consumers can still be a minefield (as the parody ad from Saturday Night Live, below, demonstrates) but diaper manufacturers--confident that the embarrassment factor can be overcome--are determined to push the envelope.
Sweden's SCA, the world's biggest hygiene product maker, recently sent a sample of its adult diapers to every Swedish man over the age of 55. It was besieged by angry phone calls from men who were perhaps not quite reconciled to needing the company's products someday.
据《大西洋月刊》报道，日本快速增长的老龄人口带来了有趣的新商机。这其中就包括蓬勃发展的成人纸尿裤市场。
据《日经新闻》周四报道，三家日本造纸企业——日本大王（Diao）制纸公司和日本制 纸集团（Nippon Paper）——因为预期市场需求将会激增，正在扩大官方所谓的“尿失禁产品”的生产设施。日本制纸集团称日本成人纸尿裤的销量将在2020年赶超婴儿纸 尿裤。但是根据日本最大尿裤生产商，日本尤妮佳的说法，2011年成人纸尿裤市场就已经全面爆发。
成人纸尿裤市场以每年6—10%的比例增长，单日本老年顾客就为其带来了1400亿日元（14亿美元）的收入。日本65岁以上的老人占了总人口的20%，是世界上比例最高的国家。
撇开人口统计资料不谈，成人纸尿裤自身也是诱人的生意——它的价格高达婴儿纸尿裤的 2.5倍，具有更高的利润率。此外，像医院和养老院等机构都是有利可图的销售渠道。虽然向消费者销售这类产品还是存在雷区（正如《周六夜现场》拿广告做的 诙谐模仿），但是尿裤制造商们对克服其中的尴尬因素信心十足，他们下定决心突破界限。
世界上最大的卫生产品制造商，瑞典爱生雅（SCA）近期向每个超过55岁的瑞典男性邮寄了一份他们公司成人尿裤的样品。结果来自顾客愤怒的投诉将他们的电话都打爆了。看来这些人并不甘心认为他们会在某一天需要这家公司的成人尿裤产品。