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CATEGORY PERFORMANCE: TOILET TISSUE

Dollar Sales $2,486,289,000 % Change From Last Year -4.16upermarket sales account for more than half the $3.2 billion spent on the product in food, drug and mass merchandisers combined. Yet competition from other channels and lower-priced private labels has grown fierce. As shoppers seek to find the best deals and cut down on replacement trips, they've switched to lower-priced store brands and moved

Dollar Sales $2,486,289,000 % Change From Last Year -4.16

upermarket sales account for more than half the $3.2 billion spent on the product in food, drug and mass merchandisers combined. Yet competition from other channels and lower-priced private labels has grown fierce. As shoppers seek to find the best deals and cut down on replacement trips, they've switched to lower-priced store brands and moved purchases to dollar stores and warehouse clubs, where they can get longer-lasting bulk sizes at a lower per-unit cost. Dollar sales of toilet tissue by supermarkets, drug stores and mass merchandisers have been hit hard in recent years, declining 4.4% in the 52 weeks ending June 13. Sales were down another 4% in calendar year 2003, and down again nearly 3% in calendar year 2002.

Supermarket declines mirror the overall trend at its worst. Sales for the 52 weeks ending June 13 were down just over 4% to nearly $2.48 billion, down 3.4% in 2003 to $2.54 billion, and down 4% in 2002 to $2.6 billion.

Drug stores, by contrast, commanded a small share of total sales of toilet tissue, but have expanded their presence in the category. Sales actually grew 2.9% to $252 million for the 52 weeks ending June 13, on top of calendar-year increases of 1.3% to $250 million in 2003 and 10.9% to $247 million in 2002.

Dollar Sales Latest 52 Weeks Ended June 13, 2004; % Change; Dollar Sales Calendar Year Ended Dec. 28, 2003; % Change; Dollar Sales Calendar Year Ended Dec. 29, 2002; % Change

Supermarkets: $2,486,289,000; -4.16; $2,541,793,000; -3.4; $2,631,664,000; -4.19

Drug: $251,935,200; 2.86; $250,555,100; 1.27; $247,412,100; 10.83

F/D/MX: $3,209,527,000; -4.41; $3,280,542,000; -4.06; $3,419,403,000; -2.99