First of four parts
In a unique way, the disposable glove market continues to work through an interesting set of circumstances initiated by the pandemic. The devil is always in the details and involves looking at operational factors beyond simple price comparisons.
How much does customer service matter in the disposable glove industry?
To be honest, some folks likely don’t rate it as a prerequisite to doing business. Disposable gloves are a commodity operating in what can be a purely transactional universe. How much for the gloves? Great. Here’s your money. Next?
In today’s marketplace, measuring the quality of products is inescapable.
Buy something online? Oh, look—you got a survey email. Send in a product registration card? You, too, are the lucky recipient of a survey. Go to your doctor? A survey is not uncommon. Simply have lunch at your favorite fast-food establishment? Guess what—they want your opinion too.
You probably hear the word “sustainability” a lot these days. That’s a good thing: Sustainability is about creating an equilibrium where we live within the limits of what Earth can provide, to ensure a balanced and healthy planet.
AMMEX is focused on delivering products and solutions through sustainable processes for our customers and operating our business in a responsible way. In 2024, we are committed to an agenda of achieving measurable targets.
Ever run out of an important disposable glove but found your vendor was out of stock—and could be for weeks? If so, you know it’s a scenario you don’t want repeated.
AMMEX’s 98%-plus fill rates on our top gloves provide both our distributor partners and their customers with confidence and peace of mind.
Last in a series
Currency has real impact on disposable glove prices. The currency exchange rate has been favorable to U.S. buyers in the single-use glove market the last few months, with a strong dollar trading at its highest rate in 20 years. If the dollar should stumble, glove prices are likely to feel upward pressure.
That is why it’s important to monitor international markets closely. If you hear the dollar is weakening, be prepared—and prepare your customers for what could lie ahead.
Third of four parts
Throughout 2023, due to higher interest rates in the United States, the U.S. dollar exchange rate has been strong when compared with Asian currencies—and that helped to keep glove prices lower. The dollar exchange rates are now off their highs, which will erode the buying power of U.S. buyers.
This is all the more reason to order early and fill your inventory before outside factors complicate the market. AMMEX boasts a 98%-plus fill rate on its top products, so you stand to take advantage of an excellent opportunity.
Fentanyl—a synthetic opioid pain reliever—is 50-100 times more potent than morphine and 30-50 times more potent than heroin. Fentanyl can be up to 100 times stronger than morphine. Illegal, synthetic versions of the drug lead to overdoses and expose first responders and law enforcement in the line of duty.
Often distributed clandestinely in other street drugs, fentanyl can lead to overdose deaths and serious health problems. In 2021, more than 71,000 people died of synthetic opioid overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up from 58,000 in 2020. Fentanyl overdoses are among the leading causes of death in the country for people ages 18 to 45.
The disposable glove market—like all markets—loves economic stability and predictability. Uncertainty will lead distributors, sellers, and end users to plan for the worst when it comes to pricing.
The first half of 2023 has been volatile for markets. Investors have had to contend with the possibility of a recession, a banking crisis, interest rate hikes (and pauses), sticky inflation, and a softening U.S. economy. The International Monetary Fund warned in the spring of volatile commodity prices posing economic challenges in coming years.
But this economy just won’t give in to negative expectations.
Latex allergies get a lot of attention, especially in the disposable glove business. An important part of finding “the right glove for the job” is determining whether the person wearing said glove is allergic to natural rubber latex proteins, and recommending substitutes if necessary.
In truth, such allergies are rare. They affect approximately 1 percent of the general population and 8 to 12 percent of healthcare workers. (Latex allergies become more prevalent in people who are exposed to the material regularly, and most medical-grade gloves are made from latex.)
