Beepats, the authorized distributor for the Lysol brand of sanitizing products, has limited retail sales of the products to two per person at its retail branch on Regent Street while maintaining the same prices it has always asked.
This decision, the company explained on Friday, is to ensure that as many people as possible are able to make purchases in light of recent panic buying and price gouging for cleaning/sanitizing products in wake of the confirmation of the presence of the coronavirus here.
In a statement on Friday, the company noted that it had not changed its pricing at its Regent Street store and distribution centre.
“We have been supplying our regular and valued wholesale customers with the requested quantities at the same prices that the products have always been. At our retail outlet in Regent Street, we have decided to limit sales to 2 per person, so that as many people as possible, may be able to purchase same,” it explained.
It added that many wholesale customers had been serviced or would be serviced by the end of the week and noted that it only had stocks for regular orders.
According to the company, it is expecting more shipments but at this point its suppliers is unable to meet higher demand because of the pandemic.
Following the news of the first case here last week, there was panic buying across Georgetown, leaving a number of businesses completely out of stock of some essential disinfectants and cleaning supplies since Wednesday.
Even before the announcement that samples taken from the 52-year-old woman who had died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) had tested positive, thereby confirming the first case, persons had already begun panic buying canned goods, toilet paper, tissue, rice and flour, among dozens of other products that they decided were essential. Many supermarkets reported that their stocks of disinfectants had vastly diminished and as a result, persons began purchasing anything that had traces of alcohol. Some reported that their stock of high wine had also sold out.
