Haze drives up demand for bottled water, health products in Kuching

The ongoing haze in Kuching has led to a significant increase in demand for bottled water and health-related products at local supermarkets.

Retailers like Farley Kuching and Emart Batu Kawa have ramped up their restocking schedules, though they have not yet faced shortages or price increases.

Customers are particularly interested in beverages with cooling properties and health products such as face masks, vitamin C gummies, and fruits high in vitamin content.

Despite the current sufficient stock levels, there is concern about potential shortages if the dry conditions persist.

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

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古晋持续的雾霾导致当地超市瓶装水和保健相关产品的需求大幅增加。

像Farley Kuching和Emart Batu Kawa这样的零售商已经加快了补货速度，尽管他们还没有遇到缺货或价格上涨的情况。

顾客对具有清凉功效的饮料和保健产品（如面膜、维生素 C 软糖和富含维生素的水果）特别感兴趣。

尽管目前库存充足，但如果干旱状况持续下去，人们担心可能会出现短缺。

古晋，9月3日讯——雾霾导致本地超市瓶装水和保健品的需求量上升，一些零售商已增加库存以满足顾客需求。

在古晋法利超市，饮料部主管、23岁的Nelson Ting表示，自雾霾开始以来，瓶装水的销量比平时更快。

“到目前为止，我注意到库存周转很快。我们像往常一样每周补货两次瓶装水，但由于雾霾，补货量增加了。”

“例如，在正常情况下，第一次送货可能包含 50 箱，第二次送货可能包含 30 箱。在雾霾期间，我们两次送货可能都会收到 50 箱，”他告诉《婆罗洲邮报》。

尽管需求增加，但丁表示，超市目前尚未出现瓶装水短缺的情况。

“法利目前库存充足，供应没有问题。与往年同期相比，我们增加了供应量，特别是八月和九月的供应量。”

“价格也保持不变。雾霾并未导致价格上涨，”他补充道。

他还表示，顾客对被认为具有清凉功效的饮料也表现出更大的兴趣。

“这包括‘Yeos’等品牌的椰子水、清凉水（也称为Cap Kaki Tiga）、椰子汁和王老记（一种罐装中药茶）。

他说：“我们把这些饮料放在顾客容易看到的地方。有些顾客进来问：‘现在有雾霾，我想找些能缓解身体燥热的饮料。’”

除了饮料之外，丁表示，某些保健和防护产品的需求也有所增加。

他说：“雾霾期间，顾客经常寻找的商品包括药品和口罩。药品方面，最常寻找的是扑热息痛。顾客还会尝试寻找西瓜等水果。”

他还建议公众在雾霾期间采取预防措施，并将自身健康放在首位。

“我们对雾霾本身无能为力，所以我们只能照顾好自己和自己的健康。多喝水，包括白开水，并佩戴口罩。”

与此同时，Emart Batu Kawa分店杂货部主管Danny Lau Yu Chai（45岁）表示，该超市也记录到瓶装饮用水的需求量有所增加。

“我们注意到瓶装水的需求量增加，库存也出现短缺。目前，瓶装水每周需要补货两到三次。”

他说：“价格不会受到影响，但供应会受到影响。”

他表示，超市预计目前的库存足以满足本月的需求。

“目前库存足以应对9月份的情况，但如果厄尔尼诺现象造成的持续干旱天气在即将到来的12月达到顶峰，那么从10月底到今年12月，饮用水短缺的风险将非常高，”他说。

刘先生还表示，除了瓶装水外，超市对保健和防护用品的需求也很强劲。

“我们对面膜、维生素C软糖、止咳糖、必理痛和退烧药的需求量很大。梨、橙子和西瓜等水果的需求量也有所增加，顾客认为这些水果富含维生素C，对身体有益，”他解释道。

根据砂拉越自然资源与环境局（NREB）每日雾霾监测报告，昨日下午4点，四个监测站的空气污染指数（API）读数达到有害水平，其中包括古晋（309）。——《婆罗洲邮报》

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