The fear of being bitten by the mosquito that transmits dengue has caused a real rush for repellents, which is already causing other problems, such as lack of product and increased prices.
Ricardo Agostinho, owner of a pharmacy, talks about the difficulty in renewing stock: “you spend two, three days before you can replenish it, less and less comes and, literally, it costs more, around 5%, 6%”.
A survey carried out by Procon in São Paulo shows an increase of 9.95% in just one week, from March 1st to 8th.
Procon’s recommendation is to research, because the price variation for the same product, in different stores, can exceed 100%.
In one example, the price of the same brand of repellent ranged from R$18.99 to R$39.38 at the beginning of this month and, according to Procon, there is nothing that can be done.
“According to our legislation, it does not characterize price abuse, it is the law of the market, supply and demand”, says Carlos Coscarelli, executive advisor at Procon-SP.
Manufacturers defend themselves: they say that part of the inputs used in production are imported and have increased by 30%. Furthermore, the industry warns of the possible lack of raw materials.
“There is a deadline for importing these products, which can take up to 70, 80, 90 days, depending on the negotiation, and this is also making the product, these inputs, which, in fact, are not being found even more expensive” , says Amabile Martins, marketing coordinator at a chemical industry.
Tags: High demand increases prices shortage repellents pharmacies
