Products Without Which One Can No Longer Live or Work

Although the number of COVID-19 cases in Croatia is decreasing day by day, and there are almost no new cases, the awareness that this is the ‘new normal’ has become so ingrained that it has changed the composition of our bags and pockets. Today, almost everyone, when leaving the house, stops to check if they have three essential items: a wallet, keys, and disinfectant. The shortage of disinfectants on the market is a thing of the past, shelves are full, and we have no excuse. The good news is that not everything is imported!

During the peak of the greatest shortage, those specialized in disinfectant production joined in, as well as those for whom this production was never part of their core business, but they managed to quickly adapt and respond to market needs. Those who previously only worked for business clients suddenly have lines for households and the general public. Even those who had never done this before started producing them. That the market reacted well is evidenced by the fact that some companies see a good business niche in this that will create new opportunities – regardless of the coronavirus.

The leading Croatian pharmaceutical company Pliva has been involved in disinfectant production for 38 years and has been the only Croatian manufacturer of antiseptics and disinfectants supplying the healthcare system for years. This was also the case now; Pliva had a social responsibility, and almost everything they produced went to hospitals, health centers, the Red Cross, and the Teaching Institute of Public Health ‘Dr. Andrija Štampar’.

– In the past quarter, we quadrupled the quantities of products delivered to the market compared to last year and are continuously supplying new quantities – said Petar Vitezica, director of Hospital Business at Pliva Croatia, adding that they had many inquiries from foreign markets in recent months, but they focused on meeting the significantly increased needs of the domestic market.

– For now, we are not exporting antiseptics and disinfectants – said Vitezica.

Meteor Group, or the Labud brand, has been producing disinfectants intended for professional use for about fifteen years. Its disinfectants were not available on the retail market, only for B2B channel, but the corona changed all that.

– Due to inquiries from citizens, we quickly created a new line for hygiene and disinfection adapted for household use, which has recently become available in stores, and consumer reactions are excellent – said Milica Damjanović, marketing director at Labud, adding that the quick response was possible thanks to their employees who worked in three shifts at Labud’s facilities in Zagreb and Meteor’s facilities in Đakovo, of course, while respecting all safety measures and implementing enhanced protection measures.

The lack of disinfectants on the market particularly affected Ina, whose operations could not stop during the peak of the pandemic, and it was necessary to ensure safe work for its employees. Since disinfectants could not be purchased, the company started producing them itself, and now they even have them for export! Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ina has sold as much as one hundred thousand liters of Ina Dezinol and opened a spectrum of new opportunities with its quick response during the pandemic.

– We are currently working on launching disinfectant wet wipes. All these products come under the common brand Ina Cosmetx – said Zoran Škrobonja, director of Ina Maziva, adding that they plan to expand sales to the hospitality industry and healthcare institutions, where many such products are needed.

The City Pharmacies of Zagreb have also started producing disinfectants for some healthcare institutions, for city and state institutions, but also for citizens who were increasingly seeking hand antiseptics and other medical antiseptics. Only in the first sixty crisis days, this chain produced more than fifty thousand packages of hand antiseptic Dermsept and more than twenty thousand packages of other antiseptics.

Ivero, a company specialized in the production and wholesale of chemicals, as a reaction to market demand caused by the pandemic, has only introduced an additional program and packaging more suitable for general use. In previous years, the share of disinfectants for surfaces and hands in the total quantity sold was less than one percent, and in the second quarter of 2020, that percentage increased multiple times. This is one of those positive changes worth keeping.

{embed_digitalno_izdanje}{/embed_digitalno_izdanje}