Company: CHD
Filing Date: 2025-02-13
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000950170-25-019801
Chunk: 54

Company: CHURCH & DWIGHT CO INC /DE/
Filing Date: 2025-02-13
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 54
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, Kenvue Inc., Pfizer Inc., Bayer AG, NBTY, Inc., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Unilever PLC, Sanofi, Pharmavite LLC, Edgewell Personal Care, Panoxyl, Starface and Peach & Lily.  Many of these companies have greater financial resources than we do and have the capacity to outspend us in their attempts to gain market share.  In addition, the growing number of sales channels and business models, such as niche brands, internet-only brands and retailer co-developed and owned brands, have increased competition in certain product categories, particularly within personal care, specialty hair and skin care and dietary supplements, from less well capitalized competitors. 

Competition within our animal nutrition and our specialty chemicals product lines is intense.  The specialty chemicals business operates in a competitive environment influenced by capacity utilization, customers’ leverage and the impact of raw material and energy costs.  Product introductions typically involve introductory educational costs in the year of launch, and we usually are not able to determine whether new products and line extensions will be successful until a period of time has elapsed following the introduction of new products or the extension of the product lines.  Our key competitors with respect to our SPD segment are Cargill Incorporated, Lallemand Inc., Solvay Chemicals, Inc., Genesis Alkali and Natural Soda, Inc.  For additional discussion of the competitive environment in which we conduct our business, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”

DISTRIBUTION OF OUR PRODUCTS

Our Consumer Domestic and Consumer International segments products are marketed primarily through a broad distribution platform that includes supermarkets, mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs, drugstores, convenience stores, home stores, dollar and other discount stores, pet and other specialty stores, and websites and other e-commerce channels, all of which sell our products to consumers.  The Consumer Domestic Segment employs a sales force based regionally throughout the U.S. and utilizes the services of independent brokers, who represent our products in the food, mass, pet, dollar, club, and numerous other classes of trade.  Our Consumer International segment conducts business through subsidiaries and global export markets.  Our subsidiaries employ local sales and marketing teams that manage the retailer and trade relationships while export sales and marketing professionals also manage an extensive distributor network in our global export markets.  Our products are stored in our plants and third-party owned warehouses and are either delivered by independent trucking companies or picked up by customers at our facilities. 

SPD markets sodium bicarbonate and