Kleenex maker says famous tissues to be wiped out of Canada soon, citing ‘unique complexities’

Facial tissue brand Kleenex will soon be no more in Canada, as the company that makes the famous facial wipes has decided to exit the business in this country.

Kimberly-Clark, which makes many other paper product brands, including Cottonelle, Huggies, Poise and Depend, says it has made the decision to stop making Kleenex facial tissues in Canada, even as its other products will stay on the shelves.

“We have been operating in a highly constrained supply environment, and despite our best efforts we have been faced with some unique complexities on the Kleenex business,” said Todd Fisher, Kimberly-Clark’s Canadian vice-president and general manager, in an emailed statement.

“This decision is one that will allow us to shift our resources to better focus on other brands in Canada and meet the needs of our consumers with continued innovation and value,” he said.

The brand posted a goodbye message of sorts on its website, thanking Canadians for their loyalty over the decades.

While the familiar Kleenex tissues will soon disappear, the name will not completely go away. The company says its “professional facial products” and “consumer hand towel products” bearing the name will continue to be sold.

“The decision was incredibly difficult for us to make, and we appreciate consumers allowing us into their homes over the decades, and to our retail partners for their support,” he said.

The move makes Kleenex just the latest in a long line of well-known consumer products to pull out of Canada in recent years, including Bugles snack chips, Skippy peanut butter and Delissio frozen pizza.