Love in the time of coronavirus
Welcome to Duty Calls. This regular feature aims to shine a light on some of the most laudable examples of altruism and sustainability within the travel retail industry by companies that go beyond the call of duty. In this special edition we look at how companies have reacted to the COVID-19 outbreak with acts of kindness, human spirit and generosity.
L’Oréal Group scales up COVID-19 relief initiatives worldwide
L’Oréal Group has launched COVID-19 relief initiatives in Ukraine, Russia, India and Brazil. This follows the mobilisation of the beauty giant’s Europe-wide solidarity programme last month.
L’Oréal Ukraine has delivered more than 100,000 hygiene and sanitation products nationwide. It donated 20,000 sets of hand and face care kits from La Roche Posay as well as 85,000 units of hydro-alcoholic gel from La Roche Posay, Garnier, and L’Oréal Paris to medical front liners, pharmacists, key workers, and socially vulnerable communities across the country.
L’Oréal India has distributed over 60,000 litres of hand-sanitiser to address the shortage of the critical sanitising gel in the country. It has also launched a donation drive to support the PM Cares Fund and is matching all employee contributions.
The company is also providing primary healthcare centres near its manufacturing sites in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, Chakan, and Maharashtra with much-needed personal protective equipment.
Through its partnership with NGOs ActionAid and Nirmala Niketan, L’Oréal India is also providing food and basic necessities to high-risk communities in Baddi, Chakan, Mumbai, Gurugram & Bengaluru.
L’Oréal Brazil has deployed its São Paulo factory to produce 170 tonnes of alcohol-based hand sanitiser. The company has begun distributing to public hospitals and at-risk communities in Brazil, with plans to roll out distribution to Latin America in the coming weeks.
Care for the community: L’Oréal Russia has delivered 100,000 units of hand sanitiser to hospitals across the country
L’Oréal Brazil has also deployed its L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, Niely, L’Oréal Professionnel, and Redken brands to supply hand sanitiser and personal hygiene products across the country.
L’Oréal Russia has repurposed its factory in the Kaluga region to manufacture hydro-alcoholic gel for local health authorities. It has also tapped the capabilities of La Roche-Posay and L’Oréal Paris to deliver 100,000 units of hand sanitiser to Russian hospitals.
In addition, the Garnier brand will distribute 100,000 units of hand sanitiser to its food distribution partners nationwide.
At-risk communities in Brazil are benefiting from the shift in L’Oréal Brazil production towards hand sanitiser
Not standing still: Beam Suntory’s campaign ‘Growing for Good’ gains momentum across its major markets
Beam Suntory’s global COVID-19 relief efforts
Premium spirits company Beam Suntory has ramped up its global COVID-19 relief efforts as part of its ‘Growing for Good’ campaign.
It has launched programmes in the US, India, Spain and Germany to support health workers and offer financial aid to F&B workers impacted by the global health emergency.
Beam Suntory’s Chicago headquarters has donated 2,000 gallons of hand sanitiser to support medical front liners and key workers, fighting the viral outbreak in Illinois. The company’s Maker’s Mark brand has also partnered with the LEE Initiative to extend its restaurant worker relief programme to Chicago.
The spirits company has also adapted its Global Innovation Centre in Clermont Kentucky to produce FDA-approved hand sanitiser; and partnered with drinks distributor Major Brands to donate US$100,000 to the Missouri Restaurant Association Workers Benefit Fund.
In India, Beam Suntory has partnered with the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) to offer US$150,000 worth of financial aid to restaurant workers. The company has also deployed the capabilities of global bartender engagement platform, The Blend, to encourage bartenders to enhance their skills during lockdown through a ‘learn and earn’ programme.
In Spain, Beam Suntory and its joint venture distribution partner Maxxium Spain, have jointly donated €240,000 to hospitals and nursing homes in Madrid and Segovia. The company has also deployed its Segovia distillery to supply sanitising gel to local health facilities and emergency services.
Beam Suntory Germany has donated €100,000 to support the German Red Cross’s (GRC) COVID-19 Emergency Fund. The funds will help source mobile medical units, fever monitoring stations, and fund elderly care and mental health support programmes in high-risk communities.
L’Occitane Group donates one million products to global relief efforts
The L’Occitane Group has delivered one million care and hygiene products to support healthcare workers around the world.
To date, the French beauty company has donated more than 700,000 soaps, moisturising lotions, and hand balms globally. It started delivering the products to China in February, followed by Japan, Brazil and the US as well as several countries in Europe.
Over the last four weeks, the L’Occitane Group has also donated more than 300,000 bottles (75,000 litres) of hand sanitiser to various European health authorities.
In France, the group has supplied 250,000 bath, body, and hair care products to hospitals and state-funded care homes in the Alpes de Haute Provence and Ardèche, and to the Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP). Its production facility in Ardèche has also begun supplying masks, aprons, gloves, and sanitiser to hospitals in the region.
The L’Occitane en Provence, Melvita, and Erborian brands have also jointly raised over €30,000 to support the AP-HP, by pledging €2 for every e-commerce sale. The group has also tapped its beauty packaging supplier, Albéa, to donate 42,000 bottles (5,000 litres) of hand sanitiser to local hospitals.
Qatar Airways flies over one million passengers and transports 70,000 tonnes of medical supplies amid the COVID-19 health crisis
Qatar Airways has flown over one million passengers home – on both scheduled and chartered flights – and transported 70,000 tonnes of medical supplies amid the COVID-19 global health emergency.
Over the last several weeks, Qatar Airways has helped repatriate 45,000 passengers in France, 70,000 in Germany, and over 100,000 to the UK. The airline has been operating a mix of scheduled, chartered, and extra sector flights since mid-February. It has also been working with governments and travel companies, and operated over 90 chartered flights, to bring home over 26,000 stranded travellers.
The airline is operating approximately 60 scheduled flights daily – flying to new destinations such as Brisbane, Christchurch, and Toronto – to help bring home stranded travellers.
Flying the flag: The Qatar Airways relief effort continues across global markets
MSC Cruises is relieving the burden on hospitals by offering cabin space to accommodate patients
MSC Group converts passenger ship into a floating COVID-19 hospital
MSC Group has joined the fight against COVID-19 by converting a passenger ferry vessel into a floating hospital.
The ship began accommodating patients on 20 April to ease the load of hard-hit Italian hospitals. The vessel currently has 25 beds in self-isolation cabins with possibility to scale up to 400. According to the company, the ship can also house intensive care units in container modules that can be housed in the ferry’s vehicle deck.
MSC Group collaborated with classification and statutory services RINA, Liguria’s regional health system, and Italy’s Protezione Civile to transform the ship in two weeks.
In a statement shared via LinkedIn, MSC Group Managing Director Germany Nils Kahn said, “We at MSC also want to support the fight against COVID-19. The Aponte-Family decided to convert a passenger ferry vessel from Grandi Navi Veloci, part of the MSC Group, into a floating hospital for patients with COVID-19. The vessel is now located in Italy to help relieve burden from local hospitals.”
The Moodie Davitt e-Zine Duty Calls feature highlights environmental and socially responsible initiatives around the globe where people and the planet are the priority. If you have CSR projects, big or small, that you would like featured in Duty Calls, especially those related to tackling the impact of COVID-19, please contact Hannah Tan-Gillies at Hannah@MoodieDavittReport.com
Partner's message
The Moodie Davitt eZine
Issue 279 | 4 May 2020
The Moodie Davitt eZine is published 12 times per year by The Moodie Davitt Report (Moodie International Ltd). © All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the Publisher. To find out more visit www.moodiedavittreport.com and to subscribe, please e-mail sinead@moodiedavittreport.com