Luxury company behind Louis Vuitton, Dior to make free hand sanitizer at perfume factories

by Brooke Seipel - 03/15/20 8:50 PM ET

Major luxury brand company LVMH is converting its perfume and cosmetics factories to instead produce hand sanitizer during the coronavirus outbreak, which it plans to give free to French authorities and France’s largest hospital system.

The France-based company, which is behind brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior and Givenchy, said in a press release Sunday that it hoped to begin making hydroalcoholic gel in its factories starting Monday, as the coronavirus pandemic results in stores worldwide being cleared of the product.

“Through this initiative, LVMH intends to help address the risk of a lack of product in France and enable a greater number of people to continue to take the right action to protect themselves from the spread of the virus,” the company said in a statement.

For those saying “if this is true..” here’s the English press release, announced a couple of hours ago by @LVMH pic.twitter.com/Xd1rE7i2wJ

— Ashley Armstrong (@AArmstrong_says) March 15, 2020

LVMH will deliver the hand sanitizer for free to the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris and French health officials and said it would continue manufacturing hand sanitizer for as long as necessary.

The decision comes as France has closed public gathering places including bars and restaurants to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, in the United States, more than 2,900 people are confirmed to have the coronavirus, and roughly 60 people have died from the disease as of Sunday afternoon.

Tags Coronavirus COVID-19 Dior Hand sanitizer Louis Vuitton luxury