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By JOUNICE L. NEALY
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 19, 2000
Two years ago, the makers of Depend created disposable underwear that would prevent leaks yet allow its users to keep an active life.
The research showed, Kimberly-Clark Corp. said, that customers would definitely buy the product. And the company projections were right.
Kind of.
The pull-up undergarments have done so well that there is now a nationwide shortage of Depend Disposable Protective Underwear. "It's primarily a case of supply and demand," said Melissa Chrisman, a spokeswoman for the Dallas-based Kimberly-Clark Corp.
"We've just seen a great response from consumers, primarily because of its underwear-like design," Chrisman said. The shortage does not include other types of disposable undergarments, such as fitted briefs which have sticky tabs or adjustable straps.
Retailers, including grocery and drug stores, have been notified of the shortage.
There are other brands of disposable underwear products available. And Kimberly-Clark, which says it has 52 percent of the U.S. market of incontinent care products, makes other disposable undergarments.
But the users of Depend -- which cost about $15 for a package of 20 underwear -- say they are reliable and psychologically nourishing.
"It's just a little more dignity with pull-ups," said Susanne Snyder, executive director of Arbor Oaks at Tyrone in St. Petersburg. About 15 of the 84 residents there used the Depend underwear until the shortage hit. "We've got more than enough," said Julie Watts, marketing director of Neighborly Senior Services. "We're set."
Another Kimberly-Clark spokeswoman, Angie McCoy, would not say whether the company has acquired more underwear-making machines to handle the demand from those who do not have enough. The Depend pull-up underwear were introduced in October 1998, company officials said. Almost as soon as the product hit the market, retailers could not keep them on their shelves.
"It has exceeded even our expectations," McCoy said. She pointed to the aging baby boomers "who have very active lifestyles, but they're getting older; and a lot of them, particularly women, often have incontinence" as one of the biggest reasons for the product's popularity. But the company also didn't have enough machines to produce the amount needed to meet demand. So, Kimberly-Clark twice had to ration the number of undergarments to retailers.
"I had a horrible time finding them," said Jane Hatch, who handles purchasing for Westminster Shores in St. Petersburg. "I just gave up."