On 15th of February, Japan Globe Industry Association announced the actual domestic sales volumes for household, work and surgical gloves in 2016.
For household gloves, the total amount was 91 million 842 thousand pairs, increased by 0.2% compared to the same period of last year, showing a slight increase from last year’s decrease. While domestic sale is experiencing stable growth and stagnant demand, the most important issue is to appeal consumers and dealer with product development with added value in safety and security rather than focusing on sales volume.
For work gloves, the total amount was 125 million 615 thousand pairs, decreased by 4.4% compared to the same period of last year, showing a decrease for 2 continuous years.
For medical gloves, surgical gloves resulted in 79 million 23 thousand pairs, increased by 1.5% compared to the same period of last year.
・Household Gloves
Among household gloves, vinyl gloves was 52 million 701 thousand pairs, decreased by 0.6%, and latex gloves was 30 million 310 thousand pairs, decreased by 0.5%, and nitrile gloves was 8 million 831 thousand pairs, increased by 8.4%.
On the other hand, general purpose ultra-thin gloves resulted in 3 billion 991 million 147 thousand pairs, increased by 32.8% thus continued to remain strong.
For household gloves, the component ratio by description was – vinyl gloves 57%, latex gloves 33%, and nitrile gloves 10%, thus showing no change in composition ratio. By thickness, the transition to thin gloves has been progressed a bit.
・Work Gloves
By description, double-sided coating gloves with backing cloth was 25 million 932 thousand pairs, decreased by 4.8%, and double-sided gloves without backing cloth was 11 million 769 thousand pairs, decreased by 1.7%. The entire market was influenced by the increase of imported products from overseas. Though growth was expected with cold protection type during early winter weather, this winter season turned out to be a warm winter and ended with almost the same result as last year.
Single-side coating gloves with rubber linings was 2 million 282 thousand pairs, decreased by 5.7%, and dip type (A) was 59 million 751 thousand pairs, increased by 0.5%, and dip type (B) was 4 million 473 thousand pairs, increased by 4.5%, print type was 19 million 639 thousand pairs, decreased by 12.3%.
Cold protection type was 1 million 722 thousand pairs, increased by 0.2%. Other types were 47,000 pairs, decreased by 14.5%.
・Medical Gloves
Among medical gloves, powder-free gloves ratio in surgical gloves was 68.5% thus showed smooth grow from the last year’s 63%. Safeness and superiority of powder-free gloves have been steadily pervading further.
On the other hand, dentistry gloves (pair type) was 2 million 531 thousand pairs, decreased by 8.0% compared to the same period of last year, thus showed a decrease for 3 years in a row. These gloves seem to be shifting towards nitrile check-up & examination gloves.
Check-up & examination gloves was 765 million 240 thousand pairs, decreased by 13.3% compared to the same period of last year, thus showed a decrease for 3 years in a row. For overall result in check-up & examination gloves, natural rubber gloves ended with significant decrease due to shift to nitrile gloves and increase of low-cost imported products.