Shop Talk

Depend goes upscale with new undergarments

Kimberly-Clark, which already launched separate versions of its Depend disposable underwear for incontinence for men and women, is updating the line again in April.  This time, it hopes to boost sales with pricier products for consumers who still want to wear real underwear, or at least look like they are doing so.

The new Depend variety packs look more like traditional underwear and are packaged more like the cotton underwear often sold in packages.  That way, perhaps shoppers who buy them — with a suggested price of $5.99 to $6.99 for a pack of six — will not feel as embarrassed, Kimberly-Clark asserts.

“Our consumer’s desired experience is to stay in their own underwear. Therefore, we want to make our Depend products as much like underwear as possible,” said Andrew Meurer, vice president of the company’s North American feminine and adult care brands.

At the same time, “men and women often experience significant anxiety and stress when shopping for these products, predominately due to the stigma that continues to exist with incontinence,” he said.

That anticipated confidence comes at a price.  The color and print versions, which have a new waistband, have a suggested price that is about 50 percent more per garment than the traditional Depend products.

The new Depend products hit stores soon after the company’s big push behind Poise pads, which included a Whoopi Goldberg commercial that aired during Sunday’s Academy Awards.

(Photos provided by Kimberly-Clark)