K-C Feels Diaper and Tissue Price Squeeze in China

According to a recent article by The Wall Street Journal, New York City, N.Y., USA, the battle for the Chinese shopper has created a price war among companies that sell consumer staples from paper towels to diapers, making it even harder for businesses to wring a profit out of the critical market.

Kimberly-Clark (K-C), Irving, Texas, the maker of Huggies diapers and Kleenex tissues, reported that due to a strong U.S. dollar, the company lowered prices in China by various amounts on company products in the country to combat competition from local firms as well as rivals from Japan and other nations.

"More and more people are coming into the middle class and parents really invest in their children," K-C CEO Thomas Falk said in an interview. "At the same time, it’s a competitive market. Everyone in the world sees that billion-plus population and is moving in."