Market Trends of Europe Hand Sanitizer Industry
Increased Attention Toward Hand Hygiene Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted consumer behavior and led consumers to take more preventive measures regarding personal hygiene, especially hand hygiene. According to Worldometer, as of February 2023, the coronavirus had infected more than 264 million people in the region, and the number of deaths had reached almost 2.01 million. The most severely affected countries include France, Germany, and Italy, with over 103 million total cases of coronavirus. Thus, the increasing number of deaths caused by the virus triggered an alarming response from consumers to use hand sanitizers. To increase awareness about the importance of infection control, some schools in the European region have implemented educational programs on the topic.
Most infectious disease outbreaks result from inappropriate or subpar personal and communal hygiene habits. Scientific evidence suggests that, when combined with other critical measures, appropriate hand hygiene is the single most effective action to stop the spread of infection, which might boost hand sanitizer sales in the region. Expanding production and product innovations are also posing more opportunities for prospective market entrants and existing market players to meet the exponentially increasing the sales of hand sanitizers.
Germany Holds a Significant Share in the Market
The demand for hand sanitizers is increasing in Germany, owing to the growing concerns related to health and hygiene. Consequently, the country holds the largest share of the European hand sanitizer market. Increased government spending on the healthcare system, improving lifestyles, and rising awareness followed by the coronavirus outbreak are some of the other factors expected to boost the demand in the German hand sanitizer market during the forecast period.
In the commercial sector, stringent regulations govern cleanliness and food safety. As a result, the commercial sector is increasing the use of hand sanitizers and urging personnel, including those in the food industry, chefs, servers, barbers, and others, to regularly use hand sanitizers, which might drive the market in the country.
The government authorities' approval of bioethanol as a major ingredient for the production of hand sanitizers helped the country increase its production capacity without any upsurge in price, as bioethanol is a cheaper alternative to isopropanol. The recent COVID-19 outbreak has created havoc in the country, resulting in the implementation of strict measures to fight against the pandemic. There has been a sudden surge in demand for health and safety products, especially hand sanitizers, in the country. For instance, in 2020, the VCI - German Chemicals Industry Association started offering bioethanol-based hand sanitizers free of charge via the VCI online platform across the country to reduce the gap between supply and demand.
