We frequently hear from customers who say they bought gloves from another vendor at a low price, but they can’t find that deal again. In fact, that vendor can’t seem to source the glove at all.
If you’re an industrial distributor, you’ve likely come across vendors who can’t be trusted to consistently deliver what you need at a price that works for you. Sure, it’s nice to save a few bucks here or there on a case of gloves, but can you count on that arrangement to hold up over time?
First of two parts
The new year has the potential to be wildly successful for distributors that sell disposable gloves. In 2023, the $15 billion-plus market will continue to evolve as we put the worst of the pandemic behind us.
What makes us say this?
What’s so interesting about how disposable gloves are made? Quite a lot, it seems.
We frequently get questions about what’s involved in making gloves. We’ve also published a few blog posts over the years describing the manufacturing process, and they’re always among our most popular.
Second of three parts
Most distributor partners of AMMEX count disposable gloves as only a small percentage of their overall business. That figure is between 2% and 5%, depending on which industry they’re servicing.
That may not seem like much emphasis. But in truth, success is less about how much significance you attach to the percentage of gloves in your overall catalog. What really matters is market penetration and the percentage of overall glove spend you’ve captured within your customer base, says Corey Townsell, vice president of sales at AMMEX.
The disposable glove market is in a vastly different position from the last couple of years. Yes, it’s still dynamic and unpredictable, but opportunities for glove distributors are everywhere.
The first two years of the pandemic caused havoc for everybody, and the glove market was certainly no exception. A global surge in demand for gloves sent manufacturers scrambling to keep up. The resulting fallout from being unable to deliver needed product pushed every manufacturer to increase production capacity. That led to ample supply coming online in the second half of 2022.
If you’re a distributor, you should be stocking light-duty black nitrile gloves in abundance.
Why? They’re hot. End users want a glove that doesn’t show dirt and grime. They also want to look as professional as possible, which makes black the glove color of choice across countless industries.
Fentanyl is a national health menace. The damage it causes is far-reaching and heartbreaking, and first responders are well aware of the dangers it poses in even casual contact.
Up to 100 times stronger than morphine, this synthetic opioid was developed for managing extreme pain in cancer patients. It has also been subverted as a highly addictive “recreational” drug, added to heroin or mixed into other drugs that pose potentially fatal risks to unknowing victims.
Of the most common disposable glove materials, nitrile is far and away the most popular. Latex may have better fit, feel, and comfort—and vinyl may have a lower price point—but it’s difficult to beat nitrile for its all-around appeal.
Nitrile disposable gloves have for years been a popular alternative to latex in many industries, especially those that require more interaction with harsh chemicals and solvents, such as automotive work.
For importers and distributors affected over the last couple years by supply chain dysfunction—in other words, pretty much everybody—the big picture is looking a bit brighter.
Shipping bottlenecks are beginning to loosen. The recent drop in wholesale inflation (for the first time in two years) provided a sign that some of the U.S. economy’s inflationary pressures have begun to cool. The New York Fed’s Global Supply Chain Pressure Index fell for the third straight month in July, hitting its lowest point since January 2021.
Gloveworks Industrial Orange Nitrile Gloves with Raised Diamond Texture are, frankly, one heck of a glove. More than 30,000 users have rated them as special.
The reasons are obvious: Amazing grip. Superior comfort. The barrier protection that 8-mil premium nitrile provides. And the confidence that these gloves will get the job done.
