Researchers for the James River Corp. went behind closed doors to retrieve some unusual marketing information.
According to a company survey, nearly half of all adults moisten their toilet paper prior to using it.Most of them are women, who do it for "better cleansing," the company says. There's one problem. Wet toilet paper falls apart, driving some consumers to use premoistened wipes.
"Many people think they are alone in wanting a bathroom tissue that can be used wet," says Tony Morakis, manager of the Quilted Northern brand of toilet paper, which is owned by James River. "However, our extensive research found there is a substantial number of adults with a need unmet by other tissues."
So the company has unveiled a new type of toilet paper - Quilted Northern Wet or Dry. The toilet paper looks pretty much like the old stuff. The only clues are the name and the packaging, which shows a baby girl dressed in a raincoat, with big drops of water falling all around.
Local grocery executives say it's too early to tell if the Wet or Dry will find a big market here. But they do believe Quilted Northern's claim that 40 percent of all adults use wet toilet paper is probably inflated.
A Quilted Northern report called "Why Americans moisten their toilet paper" says usage breaks down this way - "65 percent to achieve better cleansing, 36 percent to freshen up, 22 percent to remove makeup, 16 percent to wipe around sink, 16 percent to wipe a runny nose and 8 percent as an alternative to baby wipes."