Always products are displayed on a shelf at a supermarket in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 29, 2024.
Considering Ruvic | Reuters
Rising inflation and ever-changing pricing policies have led to higher prices on store shelves in recent years, thereby reducing consumers’ budgets.
An often overlooked example: menstrual products.
The average price of menstrual products, including sanitary pads and tampons, has increased nearly 40% since 2020, from about $5.37 per unit to $7.43 per unit, according to February data from Chicago-based market research firm Circana.
Dollar sales of menstrual products increased nearly 30% during the same period, according to Circana.
But at the same time, sales of menstrual products — which broadly include sanitary napkins, tampons, liners and more — have seen a decline of about 6% since 2022, gradually declining each year, according to data from NielsenIQ.
The data analytics company noted that the store’s items saw an increase in average unit price, with the dollar volume of consumer packaged goods as a whole increasing 2.7% year to date. These price increases are in line with rising inflation, with latest consumer price index in February, showing an annual increase of 2.4%.
The latest CPI data reveals that inflation for personal care products in the United States increased significantly, up 22.1% in February compared to January 2020.
But because menstrual products are a necessity for a large portion of the population, these costs could hurt consumers.
“I think we’re at a point where consumers in general are having to choose whether they can buy food for their family or buy prescription drugs for their family. Some things that we typically define as a necessity, people are finding alternatives or going without,” said Sarah Broyd, a partner at consulting firm Clarkston Consulting.
Broyd said the gap between higher prices and lower sales shows consumers may be looking for alternatives out of necessity.
It’s not just menstrual products that have been affected by inflation. The United States collected $115 million from tariffs on menstrual products containing cotton in 2025, compared to just $42 million in 2020, according to government data.
United States imported the majority of its menstrual products will come from Canada, China and Mexico in 2024, according to the World Bank. President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on these three countries at varying levels over the past year.
These additional costs are on top of what’s known as the “pink tax,” where some states impose a sales tax on menstrual products. According to 2025 data from Statista, Tennessee, Mississippi and Indiana have the highest sales tax on menstrual products at 7%. Products considered “medical devices” are often excluded from sales taxes.
“A subscription service for being a woman”For Dafna Diamant, 30, the rise in the price of menstrual products is felt at the checkout and weighs on her monthly expenses.
The New York resident said she noticed her usual pack of about 18 tampons came to about $25, especially over the past year.
“It’s crazy, and I feel like as a woman sometimes you have to pay $50 every two months,” Diamant told CNBC. “And for some people, that’s a drag on income.”
Diamant said she felt particularly frustrated because it wasn’t a monthly expense she could live without. She often buys designer vintage products from retailers like CVS And Walgreensyet she said she was still shocked by the sticker price.
“Being a woman still feels like a subscription service,” Diamant told CNBC. “You have to pay every month to be fertile.”
Even the largest companies have felt the effects. Procter & Gamblethe parent company of the Always menstrual product brand, said in July that it was increase prices on 25% of its personal care and household products due to a total annual pricing impact of $1 billion. It manufactures its Always products in facilities in Maine, Utah and Canada, according to the company.
P&G declined to comment for this story.
Kimberly Clarkthe maker of the Kotex brand of menstrual products, said in an April conference call that the company incurred a total of $300 million in gross costs due to tariffs, more than half of which was related to tariffs on China. The company did not respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.
Broyd, a partner at Clarkston Consulting, said menstrual products have been hit by a “triple whammy”: rising raw material costs, inflation in supply and energy chains and cross-border friction over tariffs.
“When you think about plastic, paper pulp and some of the major components of feminine care products, they probably come largely from overseas and are then hit with even greater tariffs,” Broyd said.
She added that these tariffs come on top of already allegedly higher levies on other products aimed at women, the subject of Congress’s decision. Law on the study of pink rates introduced last year by Democrats to determine whether the U.S. tariff system is “regressive” or exhibits a “gender bias.”
As prices continue to climb, Broyd said she believes companies will continue to reevaluate their portfolios and potentially sell off their feminine care segments to focus on businesses with higher margins. In November, Edgewell Personal Care sold its feminine care business to a company in Sweden for $340 million.
“You’re seeing more niche, startup-type brands popping up in stores. … That’s the biggest growth,” Broyd said. “People who have the ability to adapt and buy more organic products or products they trust will spend that extra price. But for other consumers who don’t have the discretionary income to do so, they will lower prices and opt for private brands, or go without.”
The rise of reusablesDiamant said she and her friends are now trying period underwear instead of single-use products to streamline their spending.
A growing number of people are trying reusable menstrual products, mainly because they are environmentally friendly and less expensive.
Large manufacturers often rely on brand loyalty for their products, which could suffer if consumers turn to alternatives.
“If you’re in feminine care, you’re going to use Kotex for 40 years. If you’re in Depend, you’re going to use Depend for 40 years, right?” said Michael Hsu, CEO of Kimberly-Clark, during an earnings call in November. “There’s a long-term frequency. There’s a lot of spending for consumers, and so because of that, they want to have an ongoing relationship with us.”
Saalt, a reusable menstrual product company offering cups, discs and underwear, said it estimates that 16% to 20% of U.S. consumers have tried or used reusable menstrual products, comprised primarily of younger consumers.
“Affordability is huge,” CEO Cherie Hoeger told CNBC. “When you look at our product, a cup or disc can last 10 years, and our product is only in the $30 price range. … They’re able to save up to $1,800 over the life of that cup or disc, and that’s on the low end.”
Saalt, launched in 2018, achieved eight-figure revenue in its third year of business, Hoeger said. The company declined to disclose details of its financials, but it said demand has increased year over year since its launch.
Among Gen Z, Hoeger said the biggest reason for switching to reusable products is price.
“They usually have some affinity for sustainability and climate change, but it’s never their priority,” Hoeger said.
The rise of reusable products may be contributing to the decline in sales of single-use menstrual products in recent years. This also coincides with recent studies indicating that the tampons could contain lead or other harmful ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration has investigated the presence of metals and determined there was no risk.
Capitalizing on this momentum, other companies like Knix, MeLuna, Flex and more have entered the reusable product business and captured a growing market share as consumers look for alternatives.
“Affordability is the crux; it’s the root of the problem,” Hoeger said. “Without an affordable price for these menstrual products, you will have real economic consequences for women.”
