With no vaccine to prevent or cure the virus, Covid-19 is spreading across the world , causing chaos in people's lives and the economy. However, some are already considering that the hygiene and health industry can alleviate the situation in both cases. This, in turn, could generate a demand for the creation of more e-commerce businesses in this sector.
To explain further, a simulation conducted by the Federal University of Minas Gerais, mentioned in Nexo Jornal, shows that a 10% increase in the production of essential hygiene and health goods would first help save lives. Secondly, these productive efforts would reduce the negative effects of the pandemic on the economy.
A scenario like this, with such a large increase in the manufacture of medical and hospital items, would also heat up e-commerce. New stores specializing in Health, Hygiene and Cleaning items could be created. This, in short, would make it possible to reduce unemployment and speed up the distribution of products throughout Brazil. But what to produce?
HYGIENE AND HEALTH E-COMMERCE: WHAT TO MANUFACTURE AND SELL?
Entrepreneurs who are thinking of manufacturing and selling Hygiene, Health and Cleaning products on B2B or B2C e-commerce could start with, for example:
- Masks, gloves, overalls, aprons, slippers, caps, glasses and other disposable PPE;
- Fabrics for making masks;
- Respirators and intubation equipment;
- Supports for breathing circuits;
- Lung ventilator valves;
- Batteries and memory cards for equipment used in the Health area;
- Coronavirus testing kits;
- Syringes, needles and plastic tubes for blood collection;
- Alcohol in gel, soaps, soaps and detergents;
- Gauze, hydrogen peroxide and paper sheets;
- thermometers.
These are just some of the most needed items right now. The list, however, can run to dozens, perhaps hundreds of products. Some companies could manufacture them and sell them on e-commerce sites for the end consumer or provide other companies to do this process. But who could produce these items?
INDUSTRIAL CONVERSION
The demand for Health and Hygiene products has increased and therefore now is the time to try to meet it. In this context, one of the currents of thought goes against the so-called “Industrial Conversion”. This measure is advocated, for example, by economist professor at Johns Hopkins University, Monica Bolle.
In an interview with the newspaper El País , Monica recently said that industrial conversion involves the BNDES (Brazilian Development Bank), which, according to her, should grant credit to companies willing to repurpose their assembly lines for the production of hygiene and health equipment, protection and prevention against contagion, "that's what I see countries doing according to the specific needs of each country," she mentioned.
In Brazil, union centrals and labor secretariats have discussed the proposal for industrial conversion. At the moment, these institutions are trying to dialogue with the federations of industries and create state committees aimed at mapping the factories that could participate in the project. If this is really taken forward, e-commerce in the sector will certainly grow with it.
Access and read the post “ Impacts of Covid-19 on Brazilian e-commerce ” as well. Check out some figures on the current landscape of the sector.
