For the first time in two years, the coronavirus is not the No. 1 issue affecting global markets. Instead, oil prices—and the war in Ukraine—have become the top disruptors slowing trade and driving up costs.
That doesn’t mean COVID is going away just yet. Governments have been lifting restrictions imposed to slow its spread, including rules governing travel, socializing, mask wearing, and self-isolation. But still it lingers, and in some countries it is thriving.
Other than Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, headlines this year have been dominated by soaring oil and gas prices. In some parts of the U.S., gas has surpassed $6 a gallon.
Expensive fuel, of course, has a ripple effect throughout global economies. The disposable glove industry is no exception.
Here’s a 2022 trend that’s worth sharing: We’re seeing more and more customers who love Gloveworks Industrial Black Nitrile gloves taking a step up to Gloveworks with Raised Diamond Texture (RDT).
Those black nitrile gloves (product code: GPNB) have for years been a mainstay of AMMEX’s product line. At 5 mils thick, they deliver all the barrier protection customers need for a variety of chemicals while also featuring the best traits nitrile has to offer (excellent fit and feel, puncture resistance, tactile sensitivity).
If you sell disposable gloves for a living, you should be excited about the return of Gloveworks Nitrile with Raised Diamond Texture (RDT). They present an awesome opportunity for distributors because they drive more revenue than standard gloves.
Our top-of-the-line gloves—a favorite with end-users for the better part of a decade—were largely out of stock for the last two years because of supply complications from COVID-19.
The disposable glove market is still on the mend. Recovery from the supply shortages brought on by the pandemic—as well as higher prices for most gloves, especially nitrile—has been a long time coming.
For nearly two years, distributors have had to take what they could get from manufacturers. That often meant vinyl and thinner nitrile gloves made up the bulk of shipments, which left end-users pining for heavy-duty nitrile and distributors scrambling to find acceptable substitutes.
Happy New Year, AMMEX partners!
Are you ready for 2022? Is your disposable glove lineup positioned for the new year?
Let’s face it: The last 21 months have not been easy. For those who sell disposable gloves, there has been a special set of challenges. Have you needed heavier nitrile gloves to satisfy your customers, only to be told again and again that they were on backorder?
While orange and green are popular colors for nitrile disposable gloves—especially when they feature Raised Diamond Texture—AMMEX has over the last decade-plus sold more black than any other color.
Why? Because there is something universally appealing about black gloves. From an aesthetic point of view, they convey a sense of authority, that the wearer means business. On a practical level, they conceal grease, grime, and dirt to maintain a professional appearance. And if we’re talking about fashion sense, well, nothing says cool like basic black.
One of the strongest foundations of any working relationship with AMMEX has always been our superior sales support.
There are plenty of companies from which distributors can buy disposable gloves. But none of them have the kind of sales tools—or the one-to-one relationships with sales reps—that AMMEX delivers.
When it comes to disposable gloves, it’s hard to beat nitrile. The versatile material is widely beloved by end-users who want strong, dependable barrier protection.
When it comes to nitrile, it’s hard to beat Gloveworks Industrial Black Nitrile Gloves (GPNB). These gloves are designed for professionals, manufactured for strength and durability.
How is your glove business holding up? Are you concerned about what’s ahead for the rest of the year?
For the first three quarters of 2021, the U.S. economy expanded at a torrid pace, as industries that were shut down during the pandemic—especially restaurants, hospitality, and travel—reopened. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development projected that the U.S. economy will experience 6% overall growth in 2021, putting it substantially ahead of where it was in late 2020.
