Hand Sanitizer has turned out to be one of the big commercial success stories of this year. Sales of hand sanitizer are currently going through the roof. Unfortunately uncertain times do seem to create the best and the worst behaviour in human kind. Depending on how people react to difficult situations, altruism, or profiteering and self interest can emerge. Hand sanitiser market trends have become a fascinating topic in these uncertain times.
Huge demand for hand sanitizer
In many countries hand sanitizer is going out of stock fast, stores cannot replenish the stock fast enough. In the USA the authorities had to bring in new legal measures to prevent profiteering from sale of essential items such as hand sanitizer. A report came of two brothers from Chattanooga who bought 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer. They sold it for huge profits on Amazon. Amazon, ebay, Walmart and other online portals suspended thousand of sellers’ accounts in a bid to stop excessive profiteering. The Chattanooga brothers have now agreed to donate the stock to worthy causes.
Warnings about profiteering
The UK the government warned retail stores against increased pricing on hand sanitizers and face masks. The competition and markets authority warned that retailers could face prosecution if they take advantage of the situation.
Dixon’s Unity Academy in Leeds, UK suspended an entrepreneurial young boy attending from school. His charge? : For charging 50p a squirt to use his hand sanitizer! He felt that the punishment of two hour detention for breaking school rules was unnecessary. Furthermore that he was ‘just supplying what the market needed’.
Selfless heroes of hand sanitizer
Luxury goods supplier LVMH, (Louis Vuitton owner) in France, has stated that it will halt perfume production. In its place gel production will start, furthermore they will deliver the gels free of charge to the health authorities.
In Kuwait the demand for sanitizer is as great as elsewhere. But greater demand meant that the country ran out of alcohol and the government recently stepped in ensure the air freight of urgent supplies to the country.
Catching on quickly to market trends
Savvy perfume manufacturers in the UAE have quickly added new product lines to satisfy the demand for hand sanitizer. My Perfumes Factory launched New NB and Sterling Perfumes factory launched Cosmo hand sanitizer brand.
Both have launched their products in an aerosol dispenser due to the market shortage of hand soap dispensing pumps.
Lulu supermarket in UAE has put strict restrictions on how many hand sanitizers people may buy. Currently they allow a maximum of 2 pieces per person to enable wider distribution and to avoid profiteering and resale.
Shortage of packaging materials
Many of our clients are now struggling to manufacture enough sanitizer in their markets. Many have also struggled to get enough plastic hand pumps which mostly come from Chinese manufacturers.
Unfortunately the Chinese government has told their local plastics factories to focus first on supplying the local China market. Therefore it is increasingly difficult to get plastic dispensing pumps for hand sanitizers.
The Efficacy of Hand Sanitizers
Medical officials inform us that hand sanitizers are often not as effective as soap and water to fight corona virus. This is the case if the product does not have the right formulation or people don’t use them properly.
Sanitizers with less than 60% alcohol content will not work effectively. Washing hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is one of the best preventive measures. Because soap removes the fatty layer which coats coronaviruses. Hand rubs should only be used if water is not accessible according to health officials. We should use enough quantity of sanitiser, also we should not wipe it off before the liquid has dried.
These hand sanitizer market trends will continue for the foreseeable future, demand in this product is set to increase. For more information about our changing perfume habits and trends post covid please check out our article which discusses the new trends in more detail.