Should ABU make a Incontinence products website?

[MetalMann]

I've been thinking a lot about the incontinence products that are available today, comparing them to what we have as AB/DLs. We have the best diapers hands down. Then I look at what incontinent/disabled people have and 90% of those products are awful. I know there's Dry 24/7, Abena, and a few others that offer superior products to the incontinent community, but none of them can compare to ABU or Rearz.

Dry 24/7 has been a headache for me. They never seem to have any consistency. The product has been getting worse. The last case that I bought was the last straw.

Abena on the other hand is an OK brand as well, but the padding falls apart pretty badly and the tapes have been not so good. The plastic backed diapers have a weak plastic that always loses it's snugness and the fit becomes weird.

I know there's other choices out there such as Molicare, Northshore, and so on, but there's a lot that ABU diapers have that these brands don't.

The most obvious feature would be the taping panel. Can you imagine if Abena had a taping panel? A taping panel is simply the most underutilized feature that all incontinence products are missing. Wellness brand has it but, it's really not that good.

The question is should ABU develop a sister website to sell incontinence specific products to those that want the best products available?

 

[PaddedBass]

I am not IC so this is only speculation but...

I would assume that 90% of people that are IC want something thin and easy to hide.

 

[bambinod]

there's a lot of overhead involved with maintinaing each product, so companies prefer to save money by lowering the number of items in their product line. Warehouse space is the classic example. If you find there's a market for a related product, so you start to carry it, you have to keep it on hand, especially with diapers that take six weeks to manufacture and ship. So you either have to rent more warehouse space, or lower the amount of your old product that you keep onhand and also keep less of the new. This causes an inventory flow problem and you get unhappy customers when you run out of something and they have to wait. Even ABU runs out of stuff from time to time. Now imagine that happening more often, OR prices going up to pay for more storage. That's not good for the customer. Also, unlike "recreational users", incontinent can't wait for you to get back in stock and are forced to buy elsewhere. You run out for even a week or two, and you lose customers, some for good.

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I would assume that 90% of people that are IC want something thin and easy to hide.

A lot of IC don't have frequent opportunities to change and have to go with something high capacity that will last 8 hours or more. Or simply want to play "better safe than leaky". (and honestly, IC tend to be a lot less worried about others perceptions or "getting caught" than recreational users) I'd wager that number at closer to 30-40%.

 

[Akastus]

I suppose that they could, but I doubt that the IC market for a product like the ABU Simple is that large. It's completely OTT for most ICs. Even those who are profoundly IC are unlikely to be willing to pay a considerable premium for a product so thick that it forces you to waddle, and which has the ability to absorb a small ocean. Ideally, you'd want a more intermediate product for ICs, and as Bambinod has pointed out, that complicates inventory and supply chain.

TBH, I think that the Tykables Tighty Whities might be better positioned for the IC market, since they still have superior absorption to all non-ABDL nappies, but due to being a high-SAP design, start off much thinner, and are notably cheaper than the ABU Simple. They just need to tweak the tapes.

 

[KenworthW900b]

As someone who is incontinent I have often wondered why so many other incontinent people choose form over function, Personally I always try to use the very best I can find for my needs and I have never had a problem with my diaper being noticeable but a wet spot on your behind from a substandard product is significantly harder to hide, been there done that! I agree that there is a market for abdl diapers outside the abdl world but they would have to be white or those awful "medical" colors like Wellness diapers used to be, also as the op suggested they would have to be sold by another company name as most incontinent folks would not associate with an abdl company. Lastly I think XP medical uses a similar concept by finding good quality diapers worldwide and selling them in the U.S.A but I also think that could be improved or possibly even taken further in some way, just my lowly 2 cents.

 

[NovaDL]

Here's what will happen if they do: the incontinence side will prove far more profitable, and the ABDL side will simply prove a waste of production capacity and warehouse space. The ABDL line will be discontinued.

 

[Trevor]

Here's what will happen if they do: the incontinence side will prove far more profitable, and the ABDL side will simply prove a waste of production capacity and warehouse space. The ABDL line will be discontinued.

Yeah, it's been a real graveyard for Bambino expanding out from Secure X-Plus years ago.

 

[Tetra]

As a disabled IC i will also say that as far as coverage for products i live in one of the two states that will still pay for the Tranquility ATN but ever year is a question wether it will continue all the other states have decided that they are to high quality and to expensive so in many places first qualitys horrible "wings" are the best people get.i switch my diapers depending on what i am doing i havean extesive line of custom cloth contours with full length soakers that i can stack up so much absorbency i could wear it for three or four days and still have the base diaper dry i have plastic pants custom made in snap and pull on( i wear these no matter what i wear for a diaper) i also have 20 pair of rubber bloomers when i am in bed for many days due to pain i will be diapered by my aide and wear the bloomers because they will stop all leaks when you are on total bedrest.and i also have a huge selection of onesies to wear as undershirts or polo/ golf shirt onesie as my shirt and then use the ATNS as needed and use Northshore for long travel away from home as i am always in a power chair sitting i like the abuse the Northshore front end can take from my incontinence without blowing out. And i dont hide my diapers but i dont advertise allthough as i ve said before people will pop out of the woodwork to help me if i am anywear near the diapers, people say we are weird and gross if we say DL but if they think you are broken and need them the attitude is positive let us help you get your brand ,size, buy a case they are cheaper, give me your address and i will deliver them to you. I have always wanted to say something like well thats an incontinent medium but i wear a Diaper lover medium can you find that?.or something on the level of i have plenty of diapers but do you see any Adult baby bottles, someone told me i could get one with those drop in liners that i will suck less air so i will spend less time being burped, just something off the wall to see if they turn all weird or if they stay and look and remain helpfull after practicly advertising with a skywrighter that i enjoy wearing them and dont consider it a curse, of course some days it is a menace to keep up with changes, now that would be to cruel the walmart i go to has a family style bathroom ask one of these overly helpfull shoppers if we could buy this brand and will they change me. I guess i will always wonder because i could never pull that off on some innocent shopper, it would be funny to see what happens !