While still a small part of the oral care category, natural products are starting to take their place alongside their mainstream counterparts.
For example, at Bi-Lo, Greenville, S.C., has put Tom's of Maine products in its oral care set, as well as in the natural and organics area. “It actually sells better in the oral care section,” said Tom Cerwick, senior category manager, non-edibles. “It's a trade-up, and the consumer feels that it's a little bit more ecological.”
These products also are as efficacious as the regular items, “but it has a little bit different feel to it than a regular toothpaste,” he said.
“The natural trend is a small but important segment of the oral care market,” said Carrie Mellage, director, consumer products, Kline & Co., Little Falls, N.J. “The brands involved in this area — like Tom's of Maine — often display the highest growth.”
Because of questions about their effectiveness compared to the constantly improving national-brand products, natural will not be a big part of the oral care category, said Diane Garber, president, In Sight Communications, Buffalo Grove, Ill. “I don't think it is going to shake the earth, but it is going to have a market,” she said.
While natural products may or may not perform up to consumers' standards, “clearly it's an area of growth,” said Jim Wisner, president, Wisner Marketing Group, Libertyville, Ill. People are moving away from perceived artificiality, and anything that might represent a risk to health or the environment, he said.