Durex condom sales are slumping as 'intimate occasions' disappear during the coronavirus pandemic
- Sales of Durex condoms are slumping during the pandemic, according to parent company Reckitt Benckiser's CEO Laxman Narasimhan.
- "The number of intimate occasions is down in a few countries because, if you think of it, the level of socialization is low, and so it has had an impact on Durex," Narasimhan told CNBC.
- Reckitt Benckise also owns cleaning brands including Lysol and Dettol, both of which have seen sales grow during the pandemic.
The coronavirus pandemic is destroying opportunities to have sex, resulting in a condom sales slump.
Laxman Narasimhan, the CEO of Durex parent company Reckitt Benckiser, told CNBC on Thursday that the condom brand has seen sales decline during the coronavirus pandemic.
"The number of intimate occasions is down in a few countries because, if you think of it, the level of socialization is low, and so it has had an impact on Durex," Narasimhan said.
The pandemic has created new barriers around sexual relationships, as people shelter in place and avoid human interaction.
Many have found themselves wondering similar questions to that posed by BuzzFeed News in April: "Will Single People Ever Have Sex Again?" Wary of human interaction, some people are turning to AI-powered sex robots, sending sales skyrocketing by 50% during the pandemic.
Narasimhan told The Guardian in April that even people who were already in relationships before the pandemic are having less sex, blaming anxiety related to the coronavirus for dry spells among UK couples.
Fortunately for Reckitt Benckiser, the company's business extends beyond sexual health. The company also owns cleaning brands including Lysol and Dettol — both of which, Narasimhan said, have seen sales grow during the pandemic.
"If you look at the amount of sanitizer we're making, we're making 20 times the amount of sanitizer in July as we did last year," Narasimhan told CNBC. "It just gives you the sense of the demand that there is."