Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 47-06, page: 3500. Adviser: Kim Waller. Includes bibliographical references.

In recent years, menstruation and menstruation hygiene products has had an increased interest, which has resulted in the topic being debated in many parts of the world. Change has been encouraged and some countries have acted to facilitate women's consumption of menstrual hygiene products. Sweden is not one of those countries, which means that menstrual hygiene products are neither free nor have reduced prices in the stores. Therefore, new business models such as online subscriptions need to be explored to increase the availability of menstrual hygiene products in the Swedish society. It can facilitate the buying process for women who consume the products, as the alternatives increase. The purpose of this thesis is to gain knowledge on how subscription-based business models influence the customer experience for women who consume menstrual hygiene products. New research is required to provide a perception of how subscriptions affect customers’ expectations and experience, which can result in a greater understanding of women's customer experience in this area. An interview guide was designed based on previous research and theories to be implemented in the focus groups which constituted the empirical findings. The findings were conducted by using a qualitative exploratory study of four focus groups with four participants in each. The thesis has used the conceptual framework when analyzing the empirical datawith the previous research to be able to identify patterns, similarities and differences. The conclusion of this thesis is that subscriptions to menstrual hygiene products can generate benefits that differ from one-time purchases. Menstruation and menstrual hygiene products is a sensitive topic that requires greater availability on the swedish market and subscriptions are one option. Identified touchpoints are flexibility, convenience, simplicity and time savings, which has a positive effect on the customer experience. Although, customer experience is defined differently and has individual meanings depending on the person. Therefore, it is challenging to measure the customer experience as the influencing factors vary between different people. Though, preferences for what affects the customer experience differ tosome extent between the age groups. Some barriers have been identified and the most prominent is irregular menstruationwhich can make subscriptions more complicated.

Studien behandlar den komplexa problematiken kring konsumentmedvetenhet och val av mensskydd, där bristande lagstiftning, företags marknadsföring och det kulturella tabut kring menstruation spelar en central roll. Genom att fokusera på svenska konsumenters medvetenhet om kemikalier i mensskydd och deras produktval undersöker studien vilken information konsumenter har tillgång till och hur detta påverkar deras val av mensskydd. Studien kombinerar en litteraturstudie och en enkätundersökning för att ge en djupare förståelse för ämnet. Enkäten besvarades av 79 menstruerande personer, och hade en blandning av fritextsvar och färdiga svarsalternativ. Det finns även indikationer på att menstrosor är en växande produktkategori, dock finns det potentiella problem med tillsatta ämnen i vissa av dessa produkter. En analys av produktbeskrivningar för menstrosor genomfördes för att se om dessa påverkar konsumenters val av produkt. Resultatet indikerade att konsumenter sällan jämför olika märken eller läser på om menstrosor före köp. Studien indikerar även på att konsumenternas medvetenhet om mensskydd generellt är låg, men att det finns en förväntan om säkra produkter och striktare krav på företag. Trots detta finner många respondenter det svårt att navigera bland vilseledande marknadsföring, samt tenderar att prioritera andra faktorer som komfort och absorptionsförmåga i valet av mensskydd. Tidigare forskning visar dock på exempel där påtryckningar från konsumenter om säkra mensskydd har lett till positiva förändringar. Konsumentmedvetenhet är därmed avgörande för utvecklingen av säkra mensskydd, med lagstiftning som stöd. Sammanfattningsvis betonar studien behovet av transparent produktinformation och framhåller vikten av fortsatt forskning och åtgärder för att öka medvetenheten och främja en informerad konsumtion. / This research addresses the complex issue of consumer awareness and choices of menstrual products, where inadequate legislation, corporate marketing, and the cultural taboo surrounding menstruation play a central role. By examining Swedish consumers' awareness of chemicals in menstrual products, as well as their product choices, the study also examines the information available to consumers and how it affects their preferred options of products. The study combines a literature review and a survey to provide a deeper understanding of the subject. The survey was answered by 79 menstruating individuals and included a mix of open-ended responses and predefined response options. There are indications that menstrual underwear is a growing product category; however, there are potential issues with added chemicals in some of these products. An analysis of product descriptions for menstrual underwear was conducted to determine if these descriptions influence consumers' product choices. The results indicated that consumers rarely compare different brands or research menstrual underwear before purchasing. The study also suggests that consumer awareness of menstrual products in general is low, but that there is an expectation of safe products and stricter requirements for companies. However, many respondents find it difficult to navigate through misleading marketing and tend to prioritize other factors, such as comfort and absorbency when choosing menstrual products. Previous research has shown examples where consumers have demanded safe menstrual products which have led to positive changes. Consumer awareness is thus crucial for the development of safe menstrual products, with regulated laws as support. In summary, the study emphasizes the need for transparent product information and highlights the importance of continued research and measures to increase consumer awareness.