L’Oréal Group has launched a European solidarity programme to support all stakeholders in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
In a statement, the company said that the relief programme will benefit hospitals, care homes and pharmacies on the frontlines; food distribution stakeholders who help provide the public’s essential needs; as well as hair salons, perfume stores and suppliers of VSE/SMEs, who are facing increased economic pressures caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.
L’Oréal Group Chairman and CEO Jean-Paul Agon commented: “In this unprecedented crisis, it is our responsibility to contribute to the collective effort in every way possible.”
“Through these actions, L’Oréal expresses our recognition, our support and our solidarity towards those who are demonstrating extraordinary courage and selflessness in their efforts to combat this pandemic.”
L’Oréal Group’s comprehensive support programme is built on six key pillars. They include: solidarity with health authorities, healthcare and pharmacy staff, food distribution stakeholders, VSE/SMEs across distribution networks, the most exposed suppliers and with the most needy.
As part of the programme, L’Oréal Group has deployed its factories to create critical sanitising gel. The factories — which have been producing hand sanitiser since last week — will now ramp up production to support the increasing needs of French and European health authorities.
La Roche-Posay will equip the group’s partner hospitals and pharmacies across Europe with the much-needed hand sanitiser. The brand is also supplying bottles free of charge to French pharmacies that are able to produce the critical sanitising gel in their own dispensaries.
Garnier will supply several million units of hand sanitisers to all of its European food distribution customers so that employees can better protect themselves by following recommended health, safety, and hygiene precautions.
The company has also given its VSE/SMEs — including hair salons and small perfume shops — some financial relief by freezing payments until businesses get back to normality.
The L’Oréal Foundation has also announced that it will donate EUR€ 1 million to its partner non-profit organisations to help the most high-risk members of the community follow the recommended safety precautions to curb the spread of the virus. The non-profit organisations will also be supplied with hygiene kits containing shower gel and shampoo, as well as hand sanitiser.
