Adhesive Bandage Prices Returned Near June Level
Adhesive bandage prices averaged $15.66 across 12 city areas on August 10, just 29 cents above their June 24 benchmark of $15.37.
That near-return matters because the same 100-unit equivalent reached $26.09 on July 23. By August 10 it had fallen 40.0% from that peak, unwinding nearly all of the July spike.
Every tracked city area finished lower than its July 23 value. The August 10 readings also clustered in a narrow range from $14.39 to $17.31.
The $26 peak did not hold
The 12-city average reached its high of $26.09 on July 23. It remained above $20 on four of the next five days, then fell to $18.26 on July 28 and $15.23 on July 30.
The path was not a straight decline. The average rebounded to $18.84 on August 3 before settling between $15.22 and $16.99 during the final week. The August 10 value of $15.66 was only 1.9% above the $15.37 average on June 24.
Latest city prices clustered below $18
The peak-to-August 10 declines ranged from 31.7% in Westside Jacksonville to 45.1% in Seattle’s Rainier Valley. By the end date, city values formed a much tighter band from $14.39 to $17.31.
| City area | July 23 | August 10 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL - North Center/Avondale | $24.44 | $15.17 | -37.9% |
| Clayton, MO | $25.52 | $14.63 | -42.7% |
| East St. Louis, IL | $26.67 | $15.52 | -41.8% |
| Houston, TX - Midtown | $27.20 | $15.36 | -43.5% |
| Jackson, MS - North Jackson | $27.31 | $15.82 | -42.1% |
| Jacksonville, FL - Westside | $21.90 | $14.95 | -31.7% |
| Los Angeles, CA - Mid-City | $29.01 | $17.14 | -40.9% |
| New York, NY - Ridgewood/Glendale | $24.80 | $14.63 | -41.0% |
| Philadelphia, PA - South Philadelphia | $26.01 | $17.20 | -33.9% |
| San Antonio, TX - West San Antonio | $26.31 | $17.31 | -34.2% |
| San Jose, CA - Blossom Valley | $27.66 | $15.79 | -42.9% |
| Seattle, WA - Rainier Valley | $26.22 | $14.39 | -45.1% |
Bandages concealed offsetting moves in the wider basket
The broader Consumer Health Retail Goods Inflation basket averaged $143.33 on July 23 and $135.77 on August 10. That was a $7.56, or 5.3%, decline.
Adhesive bandages alone fell by $10.43 on the basket’s equal-weight basis. The other 10 products combined added $2.86, offsetting part of that decline. Multivitamin prices supplied the largest upward offset, while vitamin D supplements and electrolyte powder moved lower alongside bandages.
The basket therefore moved much less than its first-aid component. Its modest decline concealed both a 40% bandage reversal and price increases elsewhere.
The live series now offers a simple comparison. Readings near $15 to $16 would keep adhesive bandages close to their June level, while a sustained move back above $20 would establish another step up.
Follow the live adhesive bandage price history for that check, and use the consumer-health retail-goods index to see whether bandages keep setting the broader basket’s direction.