Geometry Gets a ‘Handle on Hygiene’ with Sustainable Retail Innovation to Combat Covid-19

The ‘Handle on Hygiene’ product innovation instantly applies a thin layer of sanitiser liquid to a supermarket or store trolley handle – killing 99.9% of germs in one swipe. Geometry will introduce this creative commerce solution to retailers and brands globally in response to the current Covid-19 pandemic.

The need for vigilant and efficient shopping hygiene and sanitisation measures has increased dramatically over the past few weeks as consumers and retailers worldwide grapple with ways to combat the spread of Covid-19. With health organisations urgently recommending the public to take the right hygiene precautions, notable among them is the frequent disinfecting of areas touched by others. Retailers have been quick to respond to consumer concerns, deploying a variety of in-store solutions to offer reassurance of safety and health during shopping experiences. 

• Over 60% of shoppers globally are avoiding touching objects. (Source: YouGov)

• 50% of consumers are looking for ways to enter and exit stores as quickly as possible. (Source: Global WebIndex Report)


These behaviours will have lasting implications on the physical retail environment with new considerations of hygiene solutions being tested globally from the addition of sanitiser wipes/pumps at store entrances and ‘no touch’ zones to innovations in packaging, contactless payments and more. 

The ‘Handle on Hygiene’ device takes it one step further. It’s the only sustainable innovation that can be implemented and controlled with confidence by the consumer along their shopping journey. This unique, world-first innovation was first conceived in 2015 as a marketing partnership between Unilever’s Lifebuoy and Barrows. The tried and tested technology contains two identical liquid chambers allowing for up to 5,000 swipes of sanitiser liquid to any supermarket or store trolley handle. With a consumer-first mindset, it allows its shopper to confidently navigate the store while protecting hands from bacteria and germs. The device is also easily malleable to be applied to other high-risk surfaces such as airport trolleys, public transport handles and other locations that see frequent public usage.

Explains Beth Ann Kaminkow, global CEO Geometry: “Physical retail has been an unsung hero during this pandemic. Despite an abundance of business predictions of the death of brick and mortar, grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience, liquor stores and even physical bicycle stores have all been deemed essential businesses. Keeping local doors open has offered consumers access to necessities and a bit of normalcy. Yet as countries and states begin to lift public restrictions, sustainable hygiene measures will become imperatives for sustained future growth.”