By Fa Xing (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-08-02 11:51

Pampers, the world's leading diaper brand, hopes to gain more share in the Chinese market, one of its fastest-growing worldwide, by expanding its product range.

Pampers, one of the biggest business categories within the world's largest consumer goods company P&G, plans to drive up its sales in China by spending more on product development and providing more value-added services to customers.

The US diaper brand, which entered China in 1997, has so far sold 5 billion diapers in the country.

Worldwide, about 30 million babies in 90 countries are using Pampers diapers every day.

"We care for our customers and we attend to their particular needs by devoting more of our resources into product research and development activities," said Steve Morse, marketing head of Pampers, P&G, China.

"And we have put considerable emphasis on developing products catering to the market in China," Morse said.

Pampers has poured 1 billion yuan in China since 1997, including in research and development (R&D), assembly line and human resources. Globally, Pampers spends about $130 million on product R&D.

Pampers' growth engines in China, which used to be concentrated in the major cities, have expanded to include more second- and third-tier cities as the living standards there increase with the booming economy. And the product range has also expanded to cater to more diverse customer needs, Morse said.

Pampers, which competes with global brand Huggies and local brand Goodbaby, is the only brand with cross-tiers products. Pampers, Morse said, "is not simply a diapers producer" but is also a value-added services provider.

"We will help customers to know more about how to take care of babies and offer value-added services such as baby-rearing knowledge and expertise to them," said Morse.

Pampers, he said, shoulders "social responsibility" in this regard.