Scenes of people flocking to supermarkets for fear of spreading the coronavirus were visible in many cities around the world, starting in Milan, and most recently in New York, where the first case was confirmed. Fearing a compulsory stay at home, individuals rushed to get basic food.
What about Albania?
As in neighboring Italy, citizens panic-stricken with the spread of coronavirus turned to supermarkets to buy food stocks early last week.
The representative of the biggest supermarket chain in the country, Big Market, confirmed to Monitor that sales were up 10 percent at the beginning of last week. â??The first two to three days of last week sales were up 10 percent. The highest demand was for basic food products. By the end of the week sales were back to normal, "said a representative of Big Market.
Official sources from the country's largest minority group, Balfin, said that in the early days, following the spread of the virus in Italy, there was a growing demand in supermarkets for detergents, hygiene and food. Demand for food has now returned to normal, and hygiene products continue to be high.
Balfin Group says attendance at shopping malls has not declined, despite the fact that there were many offers over the weekend.
The fact that no official case of coronavirus has been reported so far in Albania has had a positive impact.
Hand masks and hygienists have also been the most popular product at the pharmacy, leading to product and stock finishing within a few days. High demand also led to higher prices for masks, forcing taxes to make flash checks on the pharmaceutical business.
Worldwide coronavirus
Italy is the European country most affected by coronavirus. In Italy, after the first cases of coronavirus emerged, citizens flocked to supermarkets to buy food if they would isolate themselves at home.
After this situation, the Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala addressed the citizens on social networks with the awareness message. â??Instead of thinking about rushing to supermarkets to grab food, try to spend time caring for those who are weaker, our seniors in particular who are at risk. In such situations, a mature and mature society behaves. â?
In the affected countries, retailing has been the hardest hit. In China, where this unknown virus originated, retail and e-commerce have suffered enormous damage. Big retailers like Starbucks, Uniqlo, Nike and Apple have temporarily closed their stores, while medium and small retailers are hitting particularly hard as passer-by traffic has diminished.
Even in Italy, trade and tuition are seen as the most affected sectors. As of March 2, Italy numbered about 1,700 infected and 41 lives lost.
Source: Monitor
