SINGAPORE - Face mask sales have increased by up to 50 per cent in the last two weeks amid a recent surge in Covid-19 cases and slightly hazy conditions in the mornings.
However, major retailers The Straits Times spoke to said they are confident they can meet customer demand as they have sufficient stock.
Online retailer mixshopsg – a top seller for masks on popular e-commerce platform Shopee – said it saw a 40 per cent to 50 per cent increase in face mask sales in the past two weeks.
Mixshopsg managing director Zhang Ying Yong, who imports the masks from China, said the uptick in sales comes close on the heels of a recent spike in Covid-19 cases and a wave of influenza in Singapore.
He said: “We usually order about three to six months’ worth of stock and replenish continually to make sure we can fulfil our orders.
“Last week, we put in another batch of orders to replenish our stock for the next one to two months.”
Pharmacies and supermarkets said they were adopting a similar strategy.
Supermarket chain Sheng Siong said mask sales went up by about 30 per cent last week, compared with two weeks ago.
Supermarket giant FairPrice and pharmacy chain Unity – all part of the FairPrice Group – reported about a 20 per cent increase in demand in the last two weeks.
Dairy Farm International (DFI) Retail, which manages Cold Storage, Giant, 7-Eleven and Guardian, said it has seen a slight increase in mask sales, as did popular retail chain Watsons.
Both declined to provide detailed figures.
Last week, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said a new wave of Covid-19 infections was in the offing, with the estimated number of daily cases going up from about 1,400 a month ago, to 4,000 the previous week.
Hazy conditions were also seen in Singapore in recent days, partly due to the inter-monsoon season where winds are generally light and variable in direction, said the National Environment Agency.
In March, The Straits Times reported that more people in Singapore have been falling ill with influenza in the past few months, with doctors seeing a rise in cases of as much as 30 per cent.
In response to queries, experts said the spike in Covid-19 cases is linked to a resumption of travel, more people letting their guard down, and reduced herd immunity to flu.
The increase in mask sales has not led to an upsurge in prices. Retailers said they have sufficient stock and supply chains are stable.
Prices will increase only if there is an increase in material cost, which seems unlikely this time, said Mr Zhang.
A FairPrice Group spokesman said prices for a pack of 50 disposable surgical masks start at $3.95. He added that the group will continue to closely monitor consumer demand and ensure that it remains prepared to serve the needs of the community.
DFI said it has sufficient stocks of masks and antigen rapid test kits, as well as fever, cough and cold medication.
Sheng Siong said mask prices at its stores have remained the same in the last year.
