For weeks, there’s been a gap on store shelves in the place plastic bottles of hand sanitizer once sat. Since late March, it’s been a dust farm as coronavirus-fueled demand exploded in a personal hygiene revolution the industry couldn’t match.
Now it’s May, the virus is still here and that shelf space remains empty as states begin phased reopening.
So, when will alcohol-based hand sanitizer return to retail outlets?
Lisa Anderson, a supply chain expert and consultant, initially said she expected to see the plastic bottles on shelves in about a month before reconsidering. With states now allowing hospitality businesses to open doors, the demand will again skyrocket just as the supply was starting to catch up for the consumer market.
“Even though I think we’ll sporadically have it in stock in the next month,” Anderson said, “with the reopening of businesses, they’re going to need to stock hand sanitizer. So it’s probably going to take through the summer to get this operating just because the demand has probably tripled without a hoarding mentality because every hospitality group is going to need to have a lot more than they thought of having before in addition to all the consumers who want it for their homes.”
Marriott, for example, announced Wednesday a wide range of new cleanliness additions to its portfolio of 7,000-plus hotels. They include hand sanitizer stations located throughout their properties and disposable disinfecting wipe packets in each room.
Published in Birmingham News on May 07, 2020