LVMH Group Stops Perfume Production To Make Hand Sanitizer
As global supplies of hand sanitizer dwindle, the LVMH Group joins the fight against Covid-19 by producing hydroalcoholic gels.
The French luxury group, which is best-known in the watch world for its brands TAG Heuer, Zenith, Bvlgari, and Tiffany & Co, will now utilize three of its perfume and makeup production sites to make hand sanitizer. The product will be distributed free-of-charge to French hospitals fighting the country’s coronavirus outbreak.
The sites which usually produce Christian Dior, Guerlain, and Givenchy perfumes and will now switch production to make hydroalcoholic gels for the French health authorities, in particular, the 39 public hospitals in Paris.
At the time of publication, France had recorded 5,423 confirmed cases and 127 deaths. The country had already closed schools and only grocery stores and pharmacies remain open.
Hand sanitizer suppliers have been in short supply due to panic buying. The shortage has been exacerbated by sellers trying to profit from the situation by selling hand sanitizer and face masks at extortionate rates. Such sellers were removed from sites like Amazon and eBay resulting in stocks being blocked.
LVMH isn’t the first company to switch production. Chinese electronics giant Foxconn stopped its production of Apple iPhones earlier in the year to make surgical masks for use in China. This was followed by the Japanese electronics giant Sharp (also owned by Foxconn), which did the same.
We applaud this effort by the LVMH Group, we hope our readers are staying safe and healthy.