Coils, creams sell like hot cakes

With the onset of monsoon, pharmacies, departmental stores and other shops in Chennai report a rise in sale of mosquito repellents this month when compared to average sales figures of the past few months

In light of the growing number of dengue cases in the city, an increasing number of families are using the products to reduce their chances of contracting the virus.

At Amma Naana, one of the more popular departmental stores in the city, M. Nityanandan, a staff member, said “While in the last few months, we have been selling about 48 pieces of mosquito-repellent cream per month, this month we have already sold 40. Similarly, we usually sell around 90-95 liquid electric and coils, and in October alone, we have sold 120,” he said.

Grocery shops in Chintadripet also confirm the trend. Residents of the area, living along the Cooum river, have frequent complaints about the high number of mosquitoes in the area, given the unhygienic surroundings.

People from the area mostly buy coils and sachets of repellent cream. Suresh Babu, the owner of a shop on Iyya Mudali street, said that the sale of coils and repellent creams go up during the monsoon season.

“I usually sell around 20-30 coils every month. But this month, I have already sold about 100 of them,” he said. Another shop owner in the area, G. Raj said.

“People mostly come and buy the cream in the evenings because they suffer mosquito bites at night. I sell more than 10 sachets every evening,” he said.

Shopkeepers say that while mosquito coils comes in packs, they usually sell pieces each worth Rs. 5.

There are also sachets worth Rs. 3-5 and tubes of repellent cream worth Rs. 10-50 available at some of the shops.