A Japanese auto parts maker is betting on an unlikely new growth engine: menstrual cups.
Nagoya-based GomunoInaki, which supplies rubber components to Toyota and Denso, is doubling down on its silicone period cups with a plan to start overseas sales this year, as the shift to electric vehicles spurs more companies to brace for shrinking demand for combustion-engine parts.
While the Feminak period cups, launched in 2023, comprise a sliver of the company’s annual revenue of ¥41.5 billion ($280 million), early signs are promising: Sales grew 70% in August from a year ago in a sluggish domestic market. GomunoInaki plans to debut the cups in Singapore and Vietnam by year-end, banking on the ¥4,780 product’s made-in-Japan appeal and use of medical-grade silicone. It also plans to release a more budget-friendly line next year.
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