What Kleenex does

Kleenex is a 100-year-old consumer brand owned and operated by Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: KMB), headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin, and primarily manufacturing facial tissue products. The brand's core technology is the Clean Shield protective barrier, a proprietary feature that contains mess 3x better than leading value toilet paper, complemented by differentiated chemistry in the Anti-Viral line (claimed 99.9% virucidal efficacy against Rhinoviruses Type 1A and 2, Influenza A and B, H1N1, and RSV) and certified asthma & allergy friendly air filters at MERV 8 through MERV 13 ratings. The product portfolio spans core tissue lines (Trusted Care, Ultra Soft, Lotion, Cooling + Aloe), format variants (Cube Box, Rectangular Box, Pocket Pack, Slim Wallet, Perfect Fit, Snap & Go), adjacent products (Disposable Hand Towels), and a service layer (Pollen Pal pollen tracking and alerts).

Kleenex operates a consumer packaged goods go-to-market motion, selling through retail distribution across every major US chain (Walmart, Target, Costco, CVS, Walgreens, Amazon, Sam's Club, Home Depot, Office Depot, Staples) and extending to 175+ countries through Kimberly-Clark's global distribution network. Pricing is unit-based across SKUs, ranging from sub-$1 single packs to $20+ multi-pack bundles. Customer segments are horizontal mass-market consumers, with emphasis on teachers and schools (the #1 facial tissue trusted by teachers per TeacherLists) and home air-quality-conscious buyers using the air filter line. The brand runs seasonal and educational content marketing around allergies, cold/flu, and air quality, plus a co-branded Mr Doodle campaign by PHD UK targeting younger consumers.

Revenue is generated at the parent-company level and is not separately disclosed for the Kleenex brand; Kimberly-Clark is the strategic operating parent that controls brand direction, manufacturing, and distribution. Brand-level headcount disclosed as 51-100 is consistent with a brand/marketing team rather than the full Kimberly-Clark workforce supporting production. Recent strategic activity includes a $48.7 billion merger combining Kleenex with Tylenol and Band-Aid into a single consumer products entity (announced November 2025), an exit from Canadian facial tissue sales, and a defensive marketing repositioning toward younger demographics in response to declining sales.

Name

Kleenex

Legal name

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.

Website

https://kleenex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kleenex is a 100-year-old facial tissue brand owned by Kimberly-Clark, selling tissues, hand towels, and air filters across 175+ countries through major retailers. It serves general consumers, teachers, and allergy-aware buyers via Clean Shield technology and virucidal product variants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Tissue Products

NAICS

Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing (322291)

SIC

Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Facial Tissue & Pocket Tissues (CRADALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Facial Tissues (CRAJAFAC)

Keywords

• Facial tissues
• Consumer tissue products
• Disposable hand towels
• Allergen air filters
• Personal care products

Headquarters

HQ city

Neenah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Facial Tissue Sales: Primary revenue from selling facial tissue products across multiple product lines (Trusted Care, Ultra Soft, Lotion, Anti-Viral, Cooling + Aloe) through retail distribution channels.
2. Disposable Hand Towel Sales: Revenue from disposable hand towel products offering clean, fresh towel every time.
3. Air Filter Sales: Revenue from Kleenex Allergen Air Filters (MERV 8, 11, 12, 13) that capture microparticles including lint, dust, pollen, pet dander, smog, and bacteria.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kleenex manufactures and sells branded facial tissues in multiple variants (Trusted Care, Ultra Soft, Lotion, Anti-Viral, Cooling + Aloe) and packaging formats (cube box, rectangular box, pocket pack, slim wallet, Snap & Go, Perfect Fit). The brand also sells disposable hand towels and a line of home furnace air filters (MERV 8, 11, 12, 13) under the Kleenex name, all marketed through retail and e-commerce channels.

Product overview

Kleenex is a brand of personal care and household products, primarily known for facial tissues. The product portfolio includes multiple facial tissue variants (Ultra Soft™, Trusted Care®, Lotion, Anti-Viral, Cooling + Aloe™) available in various packaging formats (Cube Box, Rectangular Box, Pocket Pack, Slim Wallet, Perfect Fit, Snap & Go). Additionally, Kleenex offers Disposable Hand Towels and a line of Allergen Air Filters (MERV 8, 11, 12, 13) for home air quality. The brand also provides a Pollen Pal service for tracking pollen levels. All products are part of Kimberly-Clark's portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trusted Care®: The original soft & strong tissue product line
• Ultra Soft™
• Lotion™
• Cooling + Aloe™
• Anti-Viral
• Snap & Go™
• Pollen Pal
• Kleenex Allergen Air Filters

Products and services

• Kleenex Trusted Care Facial Tissues The original soft and strong facial tissue available in cube box, rectangular box, and Perfect Fit cylinder formats for everyday nose and face care.
• Kleenex Ultra Soft Facial Tissues 3-ply silky-soft strength facial tissue available in cube box, rectangular box, Pocket Pack, Slim Wallet, and Snap & Go on-the-go formats.
• Kleenex Lotion Facial Tissues Facial tissue with moisturizing lotion that helps prevent skin irritation from repeated nose wiping, available in cube and rectangular box formats.
• Kleenex Anti-Viral Facial Tissues Facial tissue that kills 99.9% of cold and flu viruses; virucidal against Rhinoviruses Type 1A and 2, Influenza A and B, H1N1, and RSV.
• Kleenex Cooling + Aloe Facial Tissues Facial tissue with cooling aloe that helps skin feel restored, targeted at consumers experiencing irritation from colds or allergies.
• Kleenex Disposable Hand Towels Disposable single-use hand towels providing a clean, fresh towel every time for home and away-from-home use.
• Kleenex Allergen Air Filters Home furnace air filters available in MERV 8 (everyday), MERV 11 (advanced allergen), MERV 12 (Elite, certified asthma & allergy friendly), and MERV 13 (Elite, captures airborne bacteria) ratings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clean Shield contains mess 3x better than leading value toilet paper
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered notable.

• PHD UKnotableGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 November 2025PHD UK created the award-winning 'Kleenex x Mr Doodle' campaign that won a Gold award. The campaign aimed to combat declining Kleenex sales by targeting younger consumers through immersive events and eye-catching installations. This marketing partnership demonstrates Kleenex's efforts to modernize brand perception and reach new demographic segments.
• Mr DoodlenotableGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 November 2025Mr Doodle collaborated with Kleenex and PHD UK for the 'Kleenex x Mr Doodle' campaign, bringing his distinctive artistic style to Kleenex products and installations. The collaboration targeted younger consumers to revitalize the Kleenex brand and combat declining sales among that demographic.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Puffs: Puffs is Procter & Gamble's flagship facial tissue brand and Kleenex's closest direct competitor. Both compete head-to-head on the same retail shelves with similar product formats (cube boxes, pocket packs), targeting the same consumer occasions (allergies, cold/flu, everyday use). Puffs is the primary share-taker in the US facial tissue category.
• Scotties: Scotties is a facial tissue brand owned by Kimberly-Clark (Kleenex's parent). Despite shared ownership, Scotties competes in the value-tier of the facial tissue category, often positioned as a lower-priced alternative to Kleenex. The brands illustrate intra-portfolio cannibalization dynamics within Kimberly-Clark's tissue business.
• Up & Up (Target Private Label): Up & Up is Target's private label brand covering facial tissues and household paper products at significant price discounts to national brands. Up & Up represents the primary private label competitive threat to Kleenex's shelf space and pricing power, particularly in mass retail channels.

Broad incumbents

• Charmin: Charmin is Procter & Gamble's flagship toilet paper brand and a sibling-category tissue competitor. While Charmin focuses on bath tissue rather than facial tissue, both brands compete for the same household paper procurement budgets and shelf space. Charmin represents P&G's broader competitive pressure on Kimberly-Clark's tissue portfolio.
• Cottonelle: Cottonelle is Kimberly-Clark's premium bath tissue brand and a sister-brand to Kleenex within the same corporate portfolio. Both brands leverage shared distribution, manufacturing, and consumer trust. While serving different use occasions (bathroom vs. facial), Cottonelle is relevant because the two brands together define Kimberly-Clark's tissue category presence.
• Quilted Northern: Quilted Northern is Georgia-Pacific's (Koch Industries) bath tissue brand competing in the broader household paper category. While focused on toilet paper, Quilted Northern competes for the same household paper procurement budgets and retail shelf space as Kleenex, and competes directly with Kimberly-Clark's Cottonelle.

Regional players

• Tempo: Tempo is Kimberly-Clark's pocket tissue brand primarily serving German-speaking and broader European markets. Tempo is directly comparable to Kleenex's Snap & Go and Pocket Pack lines, competing in the on-the-go facial tissue category but in a different geographic market.
• Andrex: Andrex is Kimberly-Clark's flagship UK toilet paper and household tissue brand. While primarily bath tissue-focused, Andrex is a relevant peer as another Kimberly-Clark tissue brand competing in different geographies with overlapping manufacturing and consumer dynamics.
• Vinda International Holdings: Vinda is one of the largest tissue manufacturers in Asia, headquartered in Hong Kong and majority-owned by Essity. Vinda is comparable as a facial tissue and household paper producer operating in different regional markets than Kleenex, but with overlapping category dynamics and private-label exposure.

Emerging players

• 3M Filtrete: 3M Filtrete is the leading branded home air filter brand and a direct competitor to Kleenex's newer Allergen Air Filter line (MERV 8-13). Filtrete is comparable as it operates in the same home air filtration category with overlapping MERV ratings, allergy certifications, and retail distribution through home improvement stores.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Kleenex
• Facebookfacebook.com/Kleenex

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kleenex