-Kacee Biggs-
Cousins!
Tampons have become the latest essential care item to get hit by a shortage, following the recent baby formula shortages in the U.S.
Women across the country are currently reporting difficulties finding the tampon of their choice. With Supply and demand skyrocketing, manufacturers have responded in saying that they are boosting production in hopes of fixing this issue. This issue has caught many by surprise seeing how sanitary women products are an industry that is worth an estimated $3 billion a year in revenue.
According to NPR; stores such as CVS, Target and Walgreens have all confirmed the lack of supply for Tampons. Suppliers haven’t been able to fulfill orders placed by each company, leaving shelves poorly stocked leading to higher prices for tampons and other feminine products.
The manufacturer of Tampax and L brands, Procter & Gamble PG, controls more than half of the domestic tampon market, reports the Wall Street Journal.
“We expect this is a temporary situation in the U.S., and the Tampax team is producing tampons 24/7 to meet the increased demand for our products. We are working with our retail partners to maximize availability, which has significantly increased over the last several months,” stated by a Procter & Gamble spokesperson.
Smaller sanitary women tailored companies have also been affected, as customers have began to turn to other sanitary methods and brands while their regular brand is currently out of stock.
A spokesperson for Cora, which sells menstrual cups, period underwear and other menstrual care products, have stated that while the company’s products are still in stock, it has experienced a “significant increase in demand for tampons.”
(📸: Target)
Thyme Sullivan, co-founder and CEO of TOP ‘The Organic Project’, told TIME that the cost of supplying their tampons to the U.S. has risen by 300% from last year.
Thyme believes that the shortage of tampons are mainly because of the fact that men run the majority of these manufacturing companies. “It wasn’t on their radar,” she stated.
( 📸: Twitter )
Other contributing factors to the shortage include mass buying of tampons from customers after hearing about the shortage, as well as the fact that summer is approaching, causing there to be a seasonal increase in tampon usage as people engage in water activities.
In the meantime, consumers have no choice but to seek out alternatives to tampons while the challenges are being tackled.