Consumers urged not to overbuy N95 masks; major retailers are 'actively replenishing' stocks: CASE

SINGAPORE: Major retailers have sufficient overall stocks of N95 masks and are "actively replenishing supplies" amid consumer feedback of shortages, said Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) president Melvin Yong on Saturday (Oct 17). 

Urging consumers "not to overbuy masks in large quantities" as stocks are replenished, Mr Yong noted in a Facebook post that the haze is expected to become less intense by early November when the winds change.

Amid the ongoing haze situation, CASE is concerned about the lack of availability of haze-related items such as N95 masks, air purifiers and filters, said Mr Yong.

It also noted consumer feedback that some retailers are facing a temporary shortage of N95 masks and that some have also sold out of air purifiers. CASE officers visiting various retail outlets on Friday also found that N95 masks were sold out.

"CASE has been liaising closely with major retailers and we understand that they have sufficient overall stocks of N95 masks and are actively replenishing supplies at affected outlets to meet consumer demand," said Mr Yong.

Consumers should also be careful when buying masks and air purifiers from the secondary market - including on social media platforms - as the sellers often cannot be verified, he added.

Those who want to buy the items online should only buy from e-commerce platforms such as Shopee and Lazada, as CASE has worked with them to put in place measures to verify merchants.

"Avoid deals that are too good to be true on the internet, as these could be scams," he said.

Consumers are strongly encouraged to use the Price Kaki app to monitor and update the prices of haze-related products so that people can compare prices across retailers.