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For years I had wondered about this toothpaste conundrum; as the author points out it is in fact one of the important toiletry component if not the most importa
by achow 10y ago
For years I had wondered about this toothpaste conundrum; as the author points out it is in fact one of the important toiletry component if not the most important (for me personally actually it is).
I made up a theory that it has to be sourcing problem. Toothpaste is one thing that you don’t hear small supplier making on their own - I get to hear all the time about handcrafted artisan soaps, conditioner, shampoos etc. but not toothpaste. So for hotel industry it is very easy to source small supplies of toiletries other than toothpaste.
And on the other hand name brand toothpaste manufacturer would not be interested in setting up manufacturing lines for small toothpaste tubes (the fact it is a tube, which essentially needs a pumping machine to fill it up supports this line of thinking) for a niche segment where volumes would be minuscule as compared to their traditional channels.
- wodenokoto 10y agoBut they have already set up manufacturing for such tubes for Hotels in Europe and Asia, so it should only make sense that they would want to sell more of these. Emirates also supplies a toothbrush and toothpaste on long flights in a nice little toilet bag, even for economy passengers. These things are everywhere, except apparently American Hotels.
- achow 10y agoI suspect these 'mini sizing' consumer goods trend is reserved for Asia and I guess now Europe. In USA the marketing strategies of these companies does not include 'Sachet marketing' or mini sizing. And of course importing these small size containers for a niche market in USA would not make sense at all. [Edit] This blog writes about how the new trend in Europe is 'Right sizing' of packaging. Smaller is Better as Global Packaging Growth is Shaped by Variation in Pack Sizes. http://blog.euromonitor.com/2016/06/smaller-is-better-as-global-packaging-growth-is-shaped-by-variation-in-pack-sizes.html http://blog.euromonitor.com/2016/06/smaller-is-better-as-glo...
- mef 10y agoYou can buy mini travel-size toothpaste in just about any chain drugstore in the US
- Scoundreller 10y agoMy dentist seems to always have piles of sample-sizes to hand out. At my last hotel trip, I had to make the trip to the concierge, and they had 5mL packs of brand-name toothpaste that was like a flat ketchup pack.
- vidarh 10y agoYou can buy small travel tubes of tooth paste at many airports as well.
- Al-Khwarizmi 10y agoFYI in at least some European countries it's the same. In my recent stays at hotels in Spain and Belgium the situation is just as the article describes for American hotels: you get all kinds of situational or barely useful stuff like shower cap, shoehorn, conditioner, etc.; and no toothpaste. And I have always thought it doesn't makes sense and wondered about the reason, like the post's author. I think it was the same in other European countries where I stayed, but my memory isn't good enough to be sure. In Asia I have always found toothpaste in hotels though.
- allendoerfer 10y agoSame in other European countries.
- detaro 10y agoBut I'd assume most hotels don't source from small-time shops (at least the big chains surely have one supplier nationwide). And at least here in Germany, toothpaste is easily available in small tubes?
- bbcbasic 10y agoThey do make small tubes for the free promo packs e.g. from a first dentist appointment. I have a stash at home.
- nemo44x 10y agoThey have packets available. You get 2 or 3 uses from them. Every major hotel brand I've stayed at has them for free if you just ask the front desk.