Page 15 - HOH

BUSINESS Thursday 5 March 2020
A25

Looking for hand sanitizer? Good luck finding it

By JOSEPH PISANI demand for cleaning sup-
AP Retail Writer plies and other items, simi-
NEW YORK (AP) — The hand lar to when shoppers start
sanitizers on Amazon were preparing for a hurricane.
overpriced. A Walmart this The world's largest retailer
weekend was completely says it is working with sup-
sold out. Only on his third pliers to stock up again on
try was Ken Smith able to those items, including hand
find the clear gel — at a sanitizer.
Walgreens, where three At a Costco in Los Ange-
bottles of Purell were left. les Tuesday, hand sanitizer
He bought two. was gone and shoppers
"I didn't want to hoard," says clogged the back of the
Smith, a retired biomedical cavernous store where
technician in Wichita Falls, workers were wheeling out
Texas. pallet after pallet of bottled
Fear of the coronavirus has water. "Don't believe the
led people to stock up on hype," one worker shouted.
the germ-killing gel, leaving On Amazon, most hand
store shelves empty and sanitizers were gone. Ones
online retailers with sky-high that remained were serious-
prices set by those trying ly overpriced, even though
to profit on the rush. More the company has said it
is on the way, although it's is policing its site for price
not clear how long it will gougers. Two 8-ounce bot-
take retailers to restock. tles of Purell, for example,
Sales of hand sanitizers in were being offered for $119
the U.S. were up 73% in the by a third-party seller; such
four weeks ending Feb. 22 vendors can list their items
compared to the same pe- for sale on Amazon.com di-
riod a year ago, accord- rectly.
ing to market research firm In this Feb. 28, 2020 file photo, rows of hand sanitizer are seen empty at a Walgreens in Idaho Falls, Gaelen Gates says she
Nielsen. Idaho. trekked to two Walgreens,
The alcohol-based gunk Associated Press a Safeway and a CVS this
is convenient, but hand week and couldn't find any
sanitizer isn't the best way soap to wash hands, says Coperalcool, a brand of In the U.S., Bath & Body hand sanitizer.
to clean your hands. For Nancy Foster, the Ameri- hand sanitizer in Brazil, says Works, which sells hand The attorney, who lives in
that, soap and water still can Hospital Association's it sold 1 million bottles last sanitizers with scents like San Francisco, is not wor-
reigns supreme, according head of quality and patient month, up from 200,000 in "vanilla rose" and "pineap- ried about the new virus,
to the U.S. Centers for Dis- safety. But there are no February 2019. The com- ple colada," says its been she's just trying to avoid
ease Control and Preven- good alternatives to masks pany that makes the brand able to keep bottles in getting a cold at a music
tion. The agency recom- for nurses and doctors. says it is adding another stock at its 1,700 stores. An and film festival she plans
mends first washing hands Malls and sports arenas are shift at its factory in Piraci- executive for Bath & Body to attend later this month in
with warm or cold water adding more hand sanitizer caba, Brazil. And it is con- Works owner L Brands said Austin, Texas.
and then lathering soap for stations. And some work- sidering exporting it for the last week that hand sanitiz- If she can't find any by the
20 seconds to get it on the places have said they are first time after being ap- ers made up 5% of its total time of her trip, she has a
backs of hands, between stocking up, too. proached by companies business and that it's grow- plan: wash her hands more
fingers and under finger Purell, the best-selling hand in China, South Korea and ing "at a very high rate." frequently and "try not to
nails before rinsing off. sanitizer, is pumping up pro- Thailand. Walmart has seen higher touch anything."q
If you're not near a sink, duction. Walmart and oth-
hand sanitizer will do. But er stores say they are talk-
keep in mind that it doesn't ing to suppliers to stock up
kill all germs, the health bare shelves, but didn't say
agency says. Read the la- how long that could take.
bel and make sure you're Kroger, which runs nearly
using one that has at least 2,800 supermarkets across
60% alcohol. After applying the country, is limiting the
it, rub it all over your hands amount of hand sanitizer
until they're dry. Another shoppers can buy to five.
tip: don't touch your face, Purell says it has seen high-
since health officials say vi- er demand from health
ruses could enter your body care facilities in addition
from your eyes, mouth or to stores. It is adding more
nose. shifts and having employ-
Hospitals are more con- ees work overtime at the
cerned about a shortage two Ohio facilities where
of face masks, which peo- most Purell is made, says
ple have also been snatch- Samantha Williams, a
ing up despite pleas from spokeswoman for its parent
health officials. Patient and company Gojo Industries.
treatment rooms in hospi- Others are trying to keep
tals always have a sink and up, too.