(8/31/98)
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Procter & Gamble Co. has upset thousands of Asian women by ending distribution of Tampax tampons in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
Tampax users in these countries got a rude shock in recent weeks when they could no longer find the tampon with an applicator on the shelves of supermarkets and pharmacies.
``I am furious,'' said Singapore realtor Lynette Ong. ``I feel like I'm living in a primitive place where I can't even find a box of applicator-type tampons.''
Many users are indignant they are being forced to switch to the only other tampon available in Singapore -- Johnson & Johnson's OB brand tampon without the easy-to-use applicator.
Cincinnati-based P&G, which bought Tambrands, the maker of Tampax tampons, for about $1.85 billion last year, said the tampon market was small in these countries.
``We have plans to re-enter the market,'' marketing manager Christina Law said.
She said the company had weighed the risks of losing consumers to other sanitary hygiene products.
The Consumer Association of Singapore said it would ask P&G to put up a notice to inform consumers.
The former Singapore distributor of Tampax, Getz Brothers Singapore Pte Ltd., said it was surprised at the decision to end distribution.
``Tampax was the dominant leader of the tampon market,'' said Tony Mok, product manager at Getz.
Tampax sales in Singapore had grown rapidly since 1996, he said, estimating there could be up to 50,000 women using Tampax tampons in Singapore.
Many women in Singapore were scouring corner shops for old stock and e-mailing their friends overseas to send Tampax, in some cases using their own menstrual blood as ink.