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After the "milk powder shortage", the United States faces a "sanitary napkin shortage" again Thailand condom production line

According to the U.S. "Time" weekly report on June 7, local time, in the past few months, there have been serious shortages of feminine hygiene products on store shelves in some parts of the United States, and prices have continued to rise. Many consumers have complained on the Internet. , miserable.

Like many previous shortages, the reason for the tight supply of sanitary napkins is also affected by factors such as supply chain crisis and shortage of raw materials. Experts in the supply chain field have pointed out that the shortage of paper during the epidemic has affected the production of almost all products, and feminine care products are only the latest "victims" recently.

Experts also predict that even by 2023, these problems caused by supply chain crises and shortages of raw materials will continue, not just for sanitary pads, but for most commodities.Thailand condom production line

According to reports, since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the shortage of daily necessities has appeared again and again, from toilet paper in 2020 to infant formula milk powder not long ago, for more than two years, American consumers have had to deal with empty shelves and rising prices. price fight.

Now, sanitary pads appear to be the "latest victim" of an increasingly strained global supply chain. A Time reporter visited and found that while most of the items that "disappeared" during the pandemic, such as toilet paper, yeast and flour, have been back on shelves, there are still shortages of sanitary pads in many stores. The reporter described that seeing a "big gap" on the sanitary napkin shelf was like missing an incisor, which should have been full of sanitary napkins.Thailand condom production line

USA Today also recently received news from consumers that, after milk powder and toilet paper, feminine hygiene products such as sanitary pads have become increasingly difficult to find in recent months, especially popular brands. . "You wouldn't expect sanitary pads to be a hit, but obviously they sold out as soon as they hit the shelves," said an Arizona underwriter.Thailand condom production line

Dana Marlowe, founder of I Support the Girls, an organization that provides menstrual products such as sanitary pads to the homeless, also revealed that her organization recently discovered that sanitary pads donations have also dropped significantly. In the first half of this year, Marlow's team received only about 210,000 sanitary pads, half of the same period last year and a 61% decrease from 2020.

NBC's "Today" morning talk show noted that the lack of access to sanitary pads is not an isolated case, and that complaints about the problem have been spreading on social media for months. Many U.S. consumers took to Twitter to express their frustration.

There was also a similar discussion on the forum website "Reddit". A poster claimed to have visited 8 stores and still couldn't find a brand of sanitary napkins that he liked. In addition, the prices of sanitary napkins were also soaring.Thailand condom production line

Bloomberg reported that the average price of tampons has risen by 9.8% in the past year, and the price of pads has risen by 8.3%, mainly due to the increase in the cost of paper and plastic materials for producing tampons.Thailand condom production line

A spokesman for Procter & Gamble (P&G), which makes sanitary pads for brands such as Danbis and Hushubao, declined to elaborate on the shortage of pads or whether other feminine hygiene products were affected. However, the company also acknowledged that due to increased demand, they learned that many customers were unable to get sanitary pads in stores and online.

In a statement to Time magazine, Procter & Gamble also tried to get the famous American comedian Amy Schumer to "take the blame."

"Retail sales have exploded" since Procter & Gamble's Danbis, the most popular sanitary napkin brand among U.S. consumers, launched an advertising endorsement partnership with Schumer in July 2020, the statement said. Demand for silk sanitary napkins has grown 7.7 percent over the past two years, and the company's Maine factory operates 24/7 and is in short supply.

However, Time magazine pointedly pointed out that it is obviously unreasonable to blame the shortage of sanitary pads on Schumer. "Who still watches ads now? Even if Danbis' ads are popular, it doesn't explain why other brands of sanitary napkins are out of stock."

"Time" Weekly pointed out that the new crown epidemic occurred in 2020, and people hoarded a large number of materials, which is one reason. At the same time, the supply chain for sanitary napkin products, like virtually everything else, is broken due to factory closures and port delays, which are the root cause.

Bindiya Vakil, CEO of an AI-based supply chain data monitoring company, told the Today Show that there are two main reasons for the lack of product on store shelves: persistent supply chain crisis and shortage of raw materials.

She said: "Key materials used in production and packaging, such as plastic and paper, are highly restricted. In fact, paper shortages are affecting packaging in almost every industry, with feminine care products appearing to be the most visible 'victim' recently. '."

Vakir said the paper industry has had supply problems for two years, and from sourcing the raw materials needed for these products, to getting them to where they are needed for production, and finally to trucking to store shelves, the process is Every step is currently experiencing interruptions or delays.

She expects shortages, restrictions and price increases (of raw materials and commodities) to continue through 2023, not just for sanitary pads, but for most commodities.Thailand condom production line

In US media's view, the continued shortage of sanitary pads will be very serious because, unlike most other commodities in the supply chain, women cannot eliminate the need to buy until the supply of sanitary pads is restored.

“You might be bothered by the late delivery of the sofa or still can’t find your favorite running shoes, but you can wait, or buy something else. Women need sanitary pads every month, and once they’re an adult, they’ll need them all the time. "Time magazine wrote.

It is worth noting that at present, only a few media in the United States are paying attention to the shortage of sanitary pads, and most of the mainstream media have not reported it. The Time magazine report highlighted a point that is rarely discussed these days.

In addition to frustrated female consumers, why not too many people discuss this matter, the article also pointed out, because this topic is "a little taboo" (It's a little taboo). And it's the "taboo" of talking about things like sanitary pads and women's periods that makes it harder for many women to get the menstrual products they need.Thailand condom production line