It’s a little disconcerting that it has taken a global pandemic to get some people to become more proactive about cleaning. Regardless, now that a lot of people are deep-cleaning their homes during the pandemic, disinfectant wipes and other cleaning materials are being bought more than ever. And now that many schools and offices are trying to reopen, they’re also including extra cleaning supplies and wipes into their plans.
Because of this, there has been a major strain on supplies. As a result, Clorox has told customers that they may be experiencing a a shortage of their wipes, as well as other cleaning products, well into next year!
During a call where analysts were examining Clorox’s earnings, the president and CEO-elect, Linda Rendle, stated, “Given the fact that cold and flu [season] sits in the middle of the year, and then we expect the pandemic to be with us for the entirety of the year, it will take the full year to get up to the supply levels that we need to be at.”
Part of the reason their products are at the forefront of the pandemic is because earlier in the year, the Environmental Protection Agency recommended the Clorox wipes, along with a few other disinfectants, on their list of products that help to control the spread of COVID-19. But for its fourth quarter – which spanned April, May, and June – Clorox reported seeing a sales increase of 22%. And from July of 2019 to June 2020, the company has seen an overall 8% increase for their fiscal year.
While those are great figures for Clorox, the rest of us probably will be scrounging for the last supplies before autumn hits. Oh, 2020. What a heck of a year it’s been and it’s barely August.