Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola are two of the mega-corporations that have said they are raising prices by September due to their own rising commodity costs. Kimberly-Clark has also warned of a “mid-to-high single digit” percentage price hikes to mitigate their own inflated costs in getting commodities.
Coca-Cola has already started to raise prices. Overall, prices are starting to go up. The Associated Press reports that it is beginning to happen, “U.S. consumer prices increased a sharp 0.6% in March, the biggest uptick since 2012, while inflation over the past year jumped 2.6%.”
Supply chains, along with so many things, got all kinds of jacked up in 2020, and we are continuing to see the effects as prices creep or sometimes shoot upward. With manufacturing and shipping prices rising, along with the costs of pulp and oil-related products, P&G, Kimberly-Clark, and Coca-Cola have stated they are hiking the prices of their popular, everyday items, things in fairly universal, high demand. Think diapers, feminine products, shampoo, paper products, and of course, food and beverages. Hopefully consumers can keep up, and hopefully small businesses are not affected too badly in the fallout.
The price hikes will initially affect the retailers buying the goods, but it stands to reason the consumers will feel the hit shortly thereafter. CBS News reported “Most retailers will pass on the higher costs to consumers, who might not even notice the difference because of the savvy methods deployed by these companies.” Demand for the big brands went up during the pandemic, even though some goods already saw early and continued upticks in pricing—toilet paper, for example.
Bloomberg adds, “P&G, whose lineup of brands also includes Charmin and Tide, is trying to navigate the waning stages of the pandemic, which had given it a boost as quarantined consumers stocked up on toilet paper and other household supplies. Wall Street is watching for signs of slowing demand as vaccinations increase and consumer behavior begins to normalize.”
As vaccine rates go up, and things move more and more toward fully opening, demand will continue to increase. However, commodity costs are rising, ports, highways and airports are more congested, and shipping prices are also rising. While the big brands and big retailers should be able to ride out the rising tide of increased costs, smaller producers need to pay attention and evaluate their own production and shipping costs. Smaller retailers need to decide who will bear the brunt when the big brands start charging them more. Will the smaller businesses be able to pass on the cost hikes to their customers?
It behooves the smaller guys to stay tuned in to what the big companies are doing, particularly with inflation. If P&G, Kimberly-Clark, and Coca-Cola are groaning about their costs, odds are it will be painful to the smaller businesses. It’s time to evaluate production methods, materials, and supply chains again. Buckle your seat belts; we’re in for some turbulence.
Joleen Jernigan is an ever-curious writer, grammar nerd, and social media strategist with a background in training, education, and educational publishing. A native Texan, Joleen has traveled extensively, worked in six countries, and holds an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language. She lives in Austin and constantly seeks out the best the city has to offer.
