Louis Vuitton to Produce COVID-19 Hand Sanitizers at Cosmetics and Perfume Manufacturing Plant

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] LVMH, the parent company of the French luxury brand Louis Vuitton, has decided to produce hand sanitizers at its factories that manufacture cosmetics and perfumes as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) rapidly spreads across Europe.

According to the Guardian and other sources on the 15th (local time), LVMH announced in a statement that starting from the 16th, three factories producing cosmetics and perfumes for Christian Dior, Guerlain, and Givenchy will begin making hand sanitizers. LVMH is a luxury brand company that owns Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Celine, Bulgari, and others.

LVMH plans to produce approximately 12 tons of hand sanitizer as soon as possible this week and provide it free of charge to 39 public hospitals in Paris through the French health authorities. The number of patients using these hospitals is about 8 million annually. The first delivery is expected to take place on the 16th. Martine Irshy, head of the Paris Hospital Federation, told AFP, "I want to express my gratitude to Louis Vuitton for acting very quickly," adding, "We received this proposal at 9 p.m. on Saturday night and confirmed it immediately on Sunday."

LVMH stated, "This is a support measure to resolve the shortage crisis of related products in France," and added, "We will continue to prepare such measures so that many people can protect themselves from the spread of COVID-19." They also mentioned they are ready to donate related supplies again if necessary.

The French health authorities emphasized that washing hands is the most important measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and reported that hand sanitizer suppliers across France are hiring additional staff to meet the surging demand.

Forbes magazine commented, "LVMH is showing that it cares about the public interest for consumers and employees, trying to normalize operations by keeping factories running and encouraging employees to come to work," adding, "The idea of a luxury brand producing hand sanitizer is unimaginable under normal circumstances, but at least now it is appropriate." As of this day, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in France reached 5,423, with 127 deaths.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.