Remember last year when Singaporeans rushed to supermarkets and panic bought everything? When people willingly stood in crowded, long queues despite it being in the middle of a pandemic?
This year, it seems like we’ve gotten much smarter—we’ve switched to e-commerce instead, thank heavens.
Spike in Face Mask Sales on Online Platforms
According to TODAYonline, an increase in face mask sales was seen throughout various e-commerce platforms, with popular online retailers seeing their sales doubling after the COVID-19 Multi-Ministry Task Force’s press conference on Tuesday (18 May).
This comes after the government’s announcement on on the same day that encouraged the public to use masks with “better filtration efficiency”, such as surgical masks or reusable masks with at least two layers of fabric.
Pointing out the emergence of numerous clusters in Singapore recently, the Ministry of Health (MOH) warned of higher levels of transmissions that have been caused by the new mutant strains of COVID-19.
Online retail platform Qoo10 reported an increase of 91% in face mask sales between 7:00pm and 9:00pm on Tuesday (18 May). Similarly, on Lazada, face mask sales were 11 times greater than usual in the first two hours after the government’s announcement.
When interviewed by TODAYonline, a Qoo10 spokesperson said that the top five keyword searches on the platform were all in relation to masks, raising the example of “one listing [seeing] a 2.5 increase in sales” as compared to exactly five months before in January.
Shopee chief commercial officer Zhou Junjie also said that in the recent period, Shopee has seen a continuously high level of sales volumes regarding face masks.
Online retail platforms have given multiple assurances that there is enough stock on face masks, with Lazada “urg[ing] customers to buy responsibly and only what they need”. Mr Zhou added that they would ensure that “masks, along with other health-related products and essential household items are readily accessible to [their] consumers”.
Situation Different in Physical Stores
In contrast to the significant spike in face masks sales online, it seems like physical stores did not see much of a difference in sales.
According to TODAYonline, there were no cases of panic buying of face masks at the pharmacies they checked out in malls islandwide.
When interviewed, shoppers said that there was no rush nor need to stock up on face masks. One shopper, 42-year-old Mr Eric Liu, believed that Singapore has enough stock for face masks. He further pointed out that people would not be going out much, with most people “working from home” and “students also stay[ing] home”.
Of course, there were also some who bought face masks after hearing the government’s announcement. 35-year-old executive Suzi Ahmand told TODAYonline that it was “important to stock up on masks for safety purposes” and that she would “look into masks with good filtration capabilities” as an alternative to the cloth masks she wore at the moment.
However, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong has also given assurances that there is a “significant stockpile” of masks, cautioning that there is no need to panic buy face masks.
Stark Contrast to Long Queues Seen on Friday
This mask situation is a huge contrast to the long queues that quickly formed on Friday (14 May) after the new heightened alert restrictions were announced.
Just a few hours after the announcement, NTUC had quickly reported in a Facebook post that they were “seeing more traffic and bigger purchases” at their outlets island-wide.
The lack of panic buying for face masks might be because Singaporeans have learnt their lesson from previous situations. Or who knows, maybe we’ve just panic bought so much that we already have more than enough stock of face masks at home.
To know more about masks and how useful they are, watch this video to the end:
Feature Image: evrymmnt / Shutterstock.com
Watch this for a complete summary of what REALLY happened to Qoo10, and why it's like a K-drama:
Read Also:
- Woman Tried Bribing Officer in S’pore Immigration, Thinking It’s a M’sia Officer
- There Might Not Be Crazy Rich Asians 2 in the Near Future
- Everything About Donald Trump’s Controversial Cabinet’s Picks That Are Known So Far
- Pet-Friendly Cafe Just 10 Minutes Away From JB CIQ Has Furry Floral Decor, Pastries & Mains
- 4 Handrolls For S$4 At Japanese Handroll Bar In Duxton Road On 17 November 2024
- Everything About The Deepfake Nude Photo Scandal in S’pore Sports School
Advertisements
