COVID-19

Panic buying results in shortage of hand sanitizers

March 18, 2020 4:55 pm

The Consumer Council of Fiji says Fijians have taken drastic steps and have resorted to panic buying amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Consumer Council of Fiji says Fijians have taken drastic steps and have resorted to panic buying amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.

Council Chief Executive Seema Shandil says panic buying of hand sanitizers and face masks has resulted in the shortage of the two products in Fiji.

In a recent survey, the Council identified that the high demand of certain items during this COVID-19 outbreak have seen retailers making exorbitant profits.

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The survey has revealed that the price of a 1-liter sanitizer that used to cost around $25 is now being retailed at around $50. Additionally, now this increased price also means that a larger segment of the populace will not be able to afford hand sanitizers anymore.

The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission is also in close contact with businesses around the country to monitor any pattern of panic buying.