Using tampons is still frowned upon in China, where virginity is valued. (Photo : Wikimedia)
Wishu, a small self-funded company, has taken on the challenge of selling tampons in China, a country that has always displayed a negative attitude toward the feminine hygiene product.
Two French bankers, Jeremy Rigaud and Virginie Pre, quit their business finance jobs in France three years ago in search of an entrepreneurial opportunity in China. They decided to pursue a tampon retail business, seeing how Chinese consumer habits constantly change.
After just three years, Wishu is already valued at 5 million yuan ($785,000).
Wishu started out by selling applicator tampons using e-commerce platforms like JD.com and advertising on social media apps like WeChat.
Wishu has already begun distributing its tampons in physical stores.
"We are currently distributing our products across all CityShop branches in China and in talks with big supermarkets in Beijing and Shanghai. Soon, our products will be sold also via supermarkets in large cities," said Rigaud, the company's CEO.
Johnson & Johnson has been selling tampons in China since 1993. However, other foreign companies like Kimberly-Clark and Procter & Gamble have stayed away from selling tampons to the Chinese market.
"Large producers probably expect to achieve high revenues from the start and expect high returns on investment very quickly," Rigaud said. "The market is still nascent for them but not for us. If you are able to grab even 1 percent of the huge China market that would be more than enough for a small company like ours."
In 2013, tampons were valued at 1.25 billion yuan in China, an 8.7 percent increase year-on-year. However, its value is significantly lower than that of sanitary pads, which are valued at 49.70 billion yuan.
