Consumer wipes markets accounted for 56% of overall wipes sales in 2016. Demand for consumer wipes is expected to increase 2.5% per year to $1.9 billion in 2021. More than 80% of consumer wipes sales in 2016 were for personal care wipes, with baby wipes accounting for the majority of personal care wipes sales. However, given the maturity of the baby wipes market, the fastest growth among consumer wipes will be tied to sales of household care and other consumer wipes. These and other trends are presented in Wipes Market in the US, 8th Edition, a new study from The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

In household care wipes, 32% of sales are tied to dry wipes, primarily due to the floor care segment. In this application, wipes are often used to lift away light soils such as dust and small amounts of dirt without the help of a solvent or surfactant. This is often due to an electrostatic charge that can attract and hold dust and other small particles.

There are significant differences in the market shares of the several segments of the personal care wipes market, depending on whether market share is measured in value or in volume terms.  By volume, baby wipes accounted for about 82% of personal care wipes in 2016, while in value terms they accounted for only 67% of the segment.