KUCHING, Sept 3 — The haze has driven up demand for bottled water and health-related products at supermarkets here, with some retailers increasing their stock levels to meet customer needs.
At Farley Kuching, drinks department supervisor Nelson Ting, 23, said bottled water was selling faster than usual since the haze began.
“So far, I have noticed that the stock is moving quickly. We restock bottled water twice a week, as we normally do, but the quantity has increased due to the haze.
“For example, on normal days, the first delivery may consist of 50 cartons and the second 30 cartons. During the haze, we may receive 50 cartons for both deliveries,” he told The Borneo Post.
Despite the increase in demand, Ting said the supermarket had not experienced any shortage of bottled water so far.
“Farley still has sufficient stock and there is no problem with the supply. We have increased the quantity compared with normal months, especially for August and September.
“The price also remains the same. There has been no price increase because of the haze,” he added.
He said customers were also showing greater interest in beverages believed to have cooling properties.
“This includes coconut water from brands like ‘Yeos’, cooling water (also well known as Cap Kaki Tiga), coconut juice, and Wang Lao Ji, a canned Chinese herbal tea.
“We have placed these drinks in areas where customers can easily see them. Some customers come in and ask: ‘Now that there is haze, I want to find drinks that can help with the heat in my body’,” he said.
Apart from beverages, Ting said demand had also increased for certain health and protective products.
“The products that customers frequently look for during the haze include medicine and face masks. For medicine, it is Panadol. Customers also try to find fruits such as watermelons,” he said.
He also advised members of the public to take precautions and prioritise their health during the haze.
“We cannot do much about the haze itself, so we can only take care of ourselves and our health. Drink plenty of water, including plain water, and wear a mask.”
Meanwhile, Emart Batu Kawa branch division head of grocery Danny Lau Yu Chai, 45, said the supermarket had also recorded an increase in demand for bottled drinking water.
“We have noticed an increase in demand for bottled water and signs of low stock. Bottled water supplies are also being restocked between two and three times a week.
“There is no effect on the price, but the supply will be affected,” he said.
He shared that the supermarket expected its current stock to be sufficient for this month.
“Currently the stock is sufficient for September but if the prolonged dry conditions of El Nino continues and peaks in coming December, there is a great risk of a shortage of drinking water from the end of October onwards until December this year,” he said.
Lau also said the supermarket had recorded strong demand for health and protective products besides bottled water.
“We have great demand for face masks, vitamin C gummies, cough drops, Panadol and Cool Fever products. There is also an increase in demand for fruits like pears, oranges and watermelons, which the customers see as beneficial due to their vitamin C content,” he explained.
According to the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) Sarawak’s Daily Haze Watch, four stations recorded hazardous Air Pollutant Index (API) readings at 4pm yesterday, including Kuching (309). — The Borne Post
