Several E-Commerce Monitor Masks’ Price Increase Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

Health mask prices have jumped sharply on several e-commerce platforms as the coronavirus is plagued. Lazada, Tokopedia, Bukalapak, and Shopee also monitor price changes in Indonesia.

Some sales partners increased the price of masks fivefold. Lazada Indonesia’s Chief of Customer Experience Ferry Kusnowo said the company continues to monitor product prices and availability on platforms, including masks.

Lazada encourages partners to apply fair and competitive mask prices. “This requires the role and cooperation of the sellers. If it is found that the price is unusual compared to the regular selling price, we will immediately deactivate the list of products from the platform,” he said.

The same thing was conveyed by Tokopedia Vice President of Corporate Communications, Nuraini Razak. She conveyed, his company kept trying to ensure that there were no unnatural price increases, especially for health mask products.

Tokopedia does apply a user-generated content (UGC) policy, where sellers can upload products on the platform independently. UGC is considered easy for traders to sell. “But we must be accompanied by proactive actions to maintain the norms and applicable laws,” Nuraini said.

The e-Commerce Urges People to Monitor the Unreasonable Masks’ Price

Tokopedia calls on the public to report products whose prices are not reasonable through the Report feature. Previously, Public Relations Shopee Aditya Maulana Noverdi also said the company would continue to monitor product price developments on the platform.

In addition, Shopee will communicate with the sales partners to ensure the normal mask price. “We will not tolerate sellers who raise the price of masks at unreasonable amounts in the current situation,” Aditya said.

Head of Corporate Communication, Bukalapak Intan Wibisono, said that the company allows the sellers to determine the price of their products and their sales strategies.

“However, Bukalapak will take action against sellers who take advantage of the pandemic situation in order to reap unreasonable benefits and obstruct public access to medical devices,” he said.

Users can also report sellers that raise prices unnaturally. “It will soon be taken down, so users can still get the required mask products with the normal price range,” Intan said.

Intan said that his company is working with a mask manufacturer to increase stock in Bukalapak. This is to keep the price stable.

The Price of Masks in Some e-Commerce has Jumped Up to Five Times than Normal Prices

The price of surgical masks in several e-commerce sites has increased dramatically. In Shopee, for example, the price of 50 masks rose from IDR 19,500 on Thursday (30/1) to IDR 125 thousand yesterday (2/2) at the same store.

N95 masks is IDR 20 thousand per piece at normal price, but it’s sold at higher price. On Tokopedia site, for example, the unit price of N95 masks sells for IDR 75 thousand. Likewise in Shopee, there is a unit price of N95 masks that reaches IDR 95 thousand. In Bukalapak, Lazada, and Blibli the price reaches IDR 2 million per carton containing 20 masks.

Mask price increase also occurred in several pharmacies in Jakarta. Idris, an officer at one pharmacy in South Jakarta, said the demand for N95 masks had increased since the outbreak of the coronavirus developed. “There is a significant increase, almost 3-4 times,” he said last Friday (1/31).

This unreasonable price surge makes people feel disadvantaged. The steps taken by e-commerce are considered appropriate, which is by monitoring price spikes and even taking down products at prices that are considered unreasonable.

The public is also expected to be proactive in monitoring the surge in the price of masks by reporting products at unreasonable prices that they have encountered on e-commerce platforms.