At all times merchandise are displayed on a shelf in a grocery store in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina October 29, 2024.
Dado Ruvic | Reuters
Rising inflation and ever-changing tariff insurance policies have led to larger costs throughout retailer cabinets over the previous few years, squeezing shoppers’ budgets.
An typically missed instance: menstrual merchandise.
The typical worth of menstrual merchandise, together with sanitary pads and tampons, has risen almost 40% since 2020, from roughly $5.37 per unit to $7.43 per unit, based on February information from Chicago-based market analysis agency Circana.
Greenback gross sales from menstrual merchandise have grown by almost 30% over that very same interval, based on Circana.
However on the similar time, gross sales of menstrual merchandise — which broadly contains pads, tampons, liners and extra — have seen a roughly 6% lower since 2022, falling incrementally every year, based on information from NielsenIQ.
The info analytics firm famous that gadgets throughout the shop have seen common unit worth will increase, with the greenback quantity of shopper packaged items at massive rising 2.7% year-to-date. These worth will increase are consistent with climbing inflation, with the newest shopper worth index in February exhibiting a 2.4% annual rise.
The most recent CPI information discovered that inflation in private care merchandise within the U.S. has jumped dramatically, up 22.1% in February from January 2020.
However as a result of menstrual merchandise are a necessity for a big portion of the inhabitants, these prices could also be hurting shoppers.
“I do assume that we’re at some extent the place shoppers basically are having to decide on whether or not they can purchase meals for his or her household, or purchase prescriptions for his or her household. Some issues that we do sometimes outline as a necessity, persons are discovering options for or going with out,” mentioned Sarah Broyd, a companion with consultancy agency Clarkston Consulting.
Broyd mentioned the hole between larger costs and declining gross sales reveals shoppers could also be trying to find options out of necessity.
Menstrual merchandise have not simply been hit by inflation, both. Based on authorities information, the U.S. collected $115 million by means of tariffs on menstrual merchandise containing cotton in 2025, in contrast with simply $42 million in 2020.
The U.S. imported nearly all of its menstrual merchandise from Canada, China and Mexico in 2024, based on the World Financial institution. President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on all three of these international locations at various ranges over the previous 12 months.
These added prices come on high of the so-called “pink tax,” the place some states place a gross sales tax on menstrual merchandise. Based on 2025 information from Statista, Tennessee, Mississippi and Indiana have the highest gross sales tax on menstrual merchandise at 7%. Merchandise which might be deemed “medical units” are sometimes excluded from gross sales taxes.
‘A subscription service to be a lady’
For 30-year-old Dafna Diamant, the rising worth of menstrual merchandise has grow to be noticeable on the money register and a drag on her month-to-month bills.
The New York resident mentioned she’s observed her typical pack of roughly 18 tampons rise to someplace round $25, particularly over the previous 12 months.
“It is loopy, and it simply looks like as a lady, you must pay generally $50 each couple months,” Diamant instructed CNBC. “And for some individuals, it takes a toll on the earnings.”
Diamant mentioned she feels notably pissed off as a result of it isn’t a month-to-month expense she will be able to go with out. She typically buys store-brand interval merchandise at retailers like CVS and Walgreens, but she mentioned she’s nonetheless shocked by the sticker worth.
“It nonetheless looks like a subscription service to be a lady,” Diamant instructed CNBC. “You must pay each month to be fertile.”
Even bigger firms have felt the results. Procter & Gamble, the guardian firm of menstrual product model At all times, mentioned in July that it was elevating costs on 25% of its private care and family merchandise as a consequence of a $1 billion complete annual tariff influence. It manufactures its At all times merchandise throughout amenities in Maine, Utah and Canada, based on the corporate.
P&G declined to remark for this story.
Kimberly-Clark, the maker of menstrual product model Kotex, mentioned on an earnings name in April that the corporate incurred a complete of $300 million in gross prices from tariffs, with greater than half of that associated to tariffs on China. The corporate didn’t reply to CNBC’s requests for remark.
Broyd, the companion at Clarkston Consulting, mentioned menstrual merchandise have been hit with a “triple whammy” of rising uncooked materials prices, inflation throughout power and provide chains, and cross-border friction from tariffs.
“When you concentrate on plastic and pulp and a few of the essential parts of female care merchandise, they’re largely in all probability coming from abroad after which getting hit with that rather more of tariffs,” Broyd mentioned.
She added that these tariffs are on high of already alleged larger levies on different ladies’s merchandise, the topic of Congress’ Pink Tariffs Research Act launched final 12 months by Democrats to find out whether or not the U.S. tariff system is “regressive” or has a “gender bias.”
As costs proceed to shoot up, Broyd mentioned she believes firms will proceed to reevaluate their portfolios and doubtlessly unload their female care segments to give attention to companies with larger margins. In November, Edgewell Private Care offered its female care enterprise to an organization in Sweden for $340 million.
“You are seeing these extra area of interest, extra startup kind manufacturers which might be popping up in shops. … That is the most important progress,” Broyd mentioned. “Those that have the power to flex up and purchase extra natural or merchandise that they belief, they will spend that worth premium. However for different shoppers that do not have the discretionary earnings to try this, they are going to commerce down and go non-public label, or go with out.”
The rise of reusables
Diamant mentioned she and her associates at the moment are making an attempt interval underwear as an alternative of single-use merchandise to streamline their bills.
A rising variety of individuals have been making an attempt reusable interval merchandise, primarily as a result of they’re environmentally pleasant and cheaper.
Main producers have typically relied on model loyalty for his or her merchandise, which may take successful if shoppers flip to options.
“For those who’re in fem care, you are going to be utilizing Kotex for 40 years. For those who’re in Rely, you are going to be utilizing Rely for 40 years, proper?” Kimberly-Clark CEO Michael Hsu mentioned on a November earnings name. “There may be long-duration frequency. There’s a variety of expenditure for shoppers, and so due to that, they wish to have an ongoing relation with us.”
Saalt, a reusable interval merchandise firm providing cups, discs and underwear, mentioned it estimates that 16% to twenty% of U.S. shoppers have tried or used reusable menstrual merchandise, consisting of principally youthful shoppers.
“Affordability is large,” CEO Cherie Hoeger instructed CNBC. “Once you have a look at our product, a cup or disc can final 10 years, and our product is just within the $30 worth vary. … They’re capable of save as much as $1,800 on the lifespan of that cup or disc, and that is on the low finish.”
Saalt, which launched in 2018, hit revenues of eight figures in its third 12 months of enterprise, Hoeger mentioned. The corporate declined to reveal particulars of its financials, however she mentioned demand has grown year-over-year because it launched.
Amongst Technology Z, Hoeger mentioned the highest cause for switching to reusables is pricing.
“They normally have some affinity towards sustainability and local weather change, nevertheless it’s by no means their primary,” Hoeger mentioned.
The rise of reusables could also be contributing to the declining gross sales of single-use interval merchandise over the previous few years. It additionally coincides with latest research indicating that tampons may include lead or different dangerous components. The Meals and Drug Administration investigated the presence of metals and decided there was no threat.
Driving that momentum, different firms like Knix, MeLuna, Flex and extra have entered the reusables house and garnered rising market share as shoppers seek for options.
“Affordability is the crux; it is the foundation drawback,” Hoeger mentioned. “With out affordability for these interval merchandise, you might have actual financial penalties for ladies to occur.”
