[mike_n]

Perhaps Amazon should manufacture masks/sanitizer/etc via its house brand, and churn them out by the billion.

[djannzjkzxn]

I had the impression that Amazon’s house brand was about getting more margin by cutting out some layers of middlemen, not actually starting their own factories.

[altec3]

From what I understand, that's how most house brands work.

[epicureanideal]

But it’s a great time to recover initial startup cost in starting a sanitizer factory...

[hyperbovine]

The famously nimble NY Department of Corrections did so in like a week. So I'm guessing the startup costs are not too onerous.

https://qz.com/1815496/ny-forces-prisoners-to-make-hand-sani...

[tyingq]

The headline is funny...

"Incarcerated people tasked to make hand sanitizer to fight coronavirus are banned from using it themselves"

I mean, it's basically 120 proof ethyl alcohol. Of course they aren't allowed to have it. I'm very sympathetic to better prison conditions, but soap should be fine.

[sigstoat]

they've got a house brand, Solimo, that sells sanitizer. it's sold out like all the rest.

[Seenso]

> Perhaps Amazon should manufacture masks/sanitizer/etc via its house brand, and churn them out by the billion.

Where would they do that? China is still pretty locked down, and I think they're still struggling to supply domestic needs of those items.

[azurezyq]

It's recovering. In my hometown (Shandong province), no more restrictions on manufacturing and transportation since yesterday, aside from body temp checkpoints.

It is basically contained in China outside Wuhan already. Wuhan will join in a few weeks.

[mNovak]

In my albeit limited exposure (PCB manufacture), production in some areas seems to have recovered about a week ago.

[Baeocystin]

The only online stores where I see hand sanitizer or masks in stock & for sale are banggood and ali express. FWIW.