As PSI rises, so do delivery orders for food, N95 masks and air purifiers

SINGAPORE — While outdoor food and beverage outlets have borne the brunt of the haze, some food delivery companies have been reporting an increase in orders in the past week.

Meanwhile, e-commerce platform Shopee said that it has seen a rise in sales of haze-related products such as N95 masks, air purifiers and eczema cream.

As of 6pm on Sunday, the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading was 121 in the southern region, 117 in the east, and 109 in the north, west and central regions.

The one-hour PM2.5 concentration readings — of particulate matter that is less than or equal to 2.5 micrometres in diameter — ranged from 73 to 84 µg/m3, in the “elevated” band.

TODAY reported last week how al fresco restaurants in the central business district area have been hard hit by the haze, causing patronage to plunge by as much as 90 per cent.

On the other hand, Deliveroo, Foodpanda and Pizza Hut told TODAY that they have seen a week-on-week increase in the number of orders received, though they added that this might not be solely because of the haze but due to other factors such as ongoing promotions and marketing campaigns.

Deliveroo reported that orders jumped 10 per cent in Singapore last Saturday (Sept 14) compared with the week before. The food delivery company saw a 4 to 7 per cent increase in orders on weekdays, with the growth being the most visible around dinner time.

A spokesperson for Pizza Hut said that the company has seen a 3 per cent increase in delivery orders week-on-week.

Foodpanda also said that it had an increase in orders in the past week, although it did not say by how much.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Shopee said that the average daily sales of N95 masks rose more than 40 times this week as compared with the previous week.

The average daily sales of air purifiers saw an increase of more than two-and-a-half times compared with the week before, while for eczema cream it was almost one-and-a-half times.

The spokesperson added that currently, there are thousands of shops on Shopee selling items to counter the haze.

TAKING STEPS TO PROTECT RIDERS

In response to queries from TODAY, a Grab spokesperson said that the company’s food delivery arm, GrabFood, has not seen an impact on orders since the haze worsened on Sept 9.

All four food companies told TODAY that they are taking steps to protect their riders as the hazy conditions persist.

Spokespeople for Grab, Foodpanda and Pizza Hut said that they will be distributing masks to their riders. In addition, riders have been advised to stay hydrated throughout their shifts.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Foodpanda said that it has a “dedicated rider fleet team that will be monitoring the PSI and one-hour PM2.5 levels closely”.