Dabur rides on the surging sanitiser demand; launches 'Dabur Sanitize'

The brand initially had plans to launch the product next month. But, given the current hike in demand, Dabur decided to launch it earlier.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, the demand for soaps and sanitisers in the market has swollen. Most items, as of today, are out of stock, and consumers can only purchase a limited quantity. In times like these, new players launching products which are in high demand comes as no surprise. Riding on the wave is FMCG giant Dabur India, which has launched 'Dabur Sanitize' hand sanitiser.

The product is available in three different fragrances – Regular, Lemon and Strawberry. Initially, it will be available across all e-commerce platforms in five stock keeping units (SKUs), priced at ₹370 (500 ml), ₹200 (250 ml), ₹122 (85 ml), ₹85 (60 ml), and ₹72 (50 ml).

Over a call, Ganapathy Subramaniam, DGM, marketing, Dabur India, confirms that the brand had plans to do a phased launch of the product next month. But, given the current scenario (hike in demand due to the spread of COVID-19), the launch was advanced. “The product launch of the sanitiser was already in the pipeline. We had everything in place to launch the product next month, but went ahead and advanced the launch due to the swollen demand for the product.”

The 60 per cent alcohol-based sanitiser claims to instantly kill 99.9 per cent germs without the use of soap and water.

In a press release issued by the brand, Rajeev John, marketing head - home & personal care, Dabur India, said, “In today's world, where consumers are facing increasing health hazards due to the emergence of new viruses and pandemics, there is a growing need for getting instant and on-the-go protection. Dabur hand sanitisers offer consumers anytime, anywhere protection against life threatening bacteria and viruses.”

"Initially launched on the e-commerce space, Dabur will be extending the brand to modern retail and offline stores in the coming days. We will leverage the strong distribution network that Dabur has with an initial focus on modern retail. We are also running a series of campaigns to drive consumer awareness about how to keep themselves protected from such deadly viruses,” John added.

Other major players in the category include Reckitt Benckiser’s Dettol and HUL’s Lifebuoy.