Prestige hand soap sales increase amid coronavirus outbreak
By Sophie Nutt | 31 March 2020 | Movers & Shakers, News
Amidst the Covid-19 epidemic, in-store and online sales of prestige hand soaps have increased significantly in the UK according to the NPD Group.
Sales of prestige hand soaps have increased week-on-week since 26 January 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. Since 23 February 2020 (the week of the public health announcement from Prime Minister Boris Johnson instructing citizens to regularly wash their hands), sales of luxury and prestige hand soaps have seen double digit growth.
As the epidemic increases in the UK, sales of prestige and luxury hand soap have continued to increase. In the week beginning 8 March 2020, sales increased 102% compared to the same period in 2019. As people were asked to stay at home, consumer purchases shifted online where sales increased by 199% compared to the same period last year.
“As the UK public follow government guidelines on hand washing, we have seen the sales of prestige and luxury hand soaps grow dramatically, week-on-week,” says Emma Fishwick, account manager, NPD UK Beauty.
“The beauty industry is responding to the situation in many ways. L’Occitane has donated 10,000 hand creams to the NHS and multinational luxury brands such as LVMH, Clarins, L’Oreal and Coty are switching production to products such as hand sanitiser.”