Page 10 - BOSS Today Issue 47

BOSS Today #45 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AF International E

Paul Hardy, European Brand Director

Q: Which of your products have been a hand pump, which has been in Q: How are you adapting your
in the greatest demand because of shortage globally for the last three working practices because of the
the Coronavirus? weeks, so we have substituted Coronavirus?
a standard bottle screw cap to
A: When the virus initially started enable users to decant and re-use A: We do have some people working
to be reported, we saw a steady existing pumps, thereby using from home; everyone has been
increase in the sales of our anti- 25% less plastic. As a business, supplied with hand gel and cleaning
bacterial+ range, but as soon as the we are taking a proactive stance, products. We have installed an
UK government announced that rather than a reactive one, but the even more robust cleaning regime
people needed to clean their hands situation is changing so rapidly. in the factory and office areas.
with sanitising gel, it was almost Obviously, for me personally, a
as if a switch had been flicked Q: What positives, if any, have arisen lot of meetings, conferences and
and everything went absolutely from this whole situation? travel have been cancelled.
loopy. We sold out of anti-bac+
very quickly although we’d been A: Of course, I should first say Q: What advice can you give to OP
holding some substantial stock that this is a terrible crisis for dealers on how best to respond to
in preparation for the flu season. everybody. But for consumers, this situation?
We also witnessed a massive I guess this does highlight the
spike in orders for hand sanitising fact that a good cleaning regime A: If anything, I guess that this does
gel. But really, all products are is a necessity. For the overall OP give dealers an opportunity to talk
selling very well – screen cleaner, industry, this might perhaps give a to their customers about other
surface cleaner, foam cleaner and boost; not just now, but also in the product areas, such as screen
isopropanol – sales have gone future, because when people come cleaning, general cleaning, JanSan
through the roof. to replace some of these cleaning and PPE items etc.
products, they will know that they
Q: What challenges do you see for can source them from their OP
your business because of the suppliers. For us in particular, it’s
Coronavirus? opened up a lot of new channels
– we have been approached by
A: The main challenge is trying to companies that previously would
meet people’s expectations with never have even made my prospect
delivery times. We’ve put extra list.
production on in the UK to try
to cope with demand, but we
are getting to the stage now
where some raw materials and
components are becoming scarce:
our 500ml sanitiser comes with

10