Sales of N99 anti-pollution masks, air purifiers see huge spike as smog clouds North India

 Post Diwali, Delhi and other North Indian states have witnessed a thick smog blanket. The air quality has dipped and the pollution levels are highest in 17 years. PM 2.5, a standard measure of air quality, is 13 times higher than the safe limit and the reasons are beyond just Diwali crackers, going to the stubble burning across Punjab and Haryana.

This has resulted in respiratory issues in children and adults alike. And, this has given a huge push to the sales of anti-pollution masks like N95 and N99 and air purifiers. The demand, in fact, is such that some stores and pharmacies are running out of stock for the masks. While masks are selling like hotcakes this year, so are air purifiers.

Wellness India spoke to Vibhor Jain, CEO, Atlanta Healthcare, on the rise in sales of these healthcare products and the factors driving these sales.

The jump

Jain says that there has been a sudden jump of 300 to 400 per cent in the sales of the whole range including anti-pollution masks, air purifiers and air quality monitors. This sudden spurt has been observed in the past 2 to 3 weeks, he says. “Masks were an expat community product till last year. They were limited to a certain section of the society. But this year, a new segment has been created for these masks with the jump in demand and considering there are only 2-3 big players in this segment, the sales have immensely gone up,” Jain adds.

While the masks cost somewhere between Rs 1,800 and Rs 2,200, the air purifiers begin from Rs 5,000 and the costs vary according to the category.

Factors driving the sales

Deadly pollution levels are a given factor shooting the sales of masks and air purifiers this year. “The air pollution is more visible this year, and hence, these masks are more in demand. But that doesn’t mean that the air indoors is pure. We need air purifiers as much as we need masks,” says Jain.

In addition to the pollution, there are many other factors that are driving the sales of these products this year. As Jain puts it, “People are much more aware now. Discussions through the media and social media are making people aware of how dangerous the pollution levels are and how important it is to have these products like masks, air purifiers and air quality monitors. It is the first time that pollution has hit hard and therefore, the sales of these products have seen a sudden spike.”

Products and their availability - How to protect yourself from air pollution

Atlanta Healthcare offers N99 masks. The range has 15 designs, 3 different valve options and is available in five sizes, which are Extra Small, Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. “There are many general ‘one size fits all’ masks available in the market, which are not effective. These masks have to be face fit to prevent leakage,” says Jain.

“These masks provide relief from .3 microns, 99.7 per cent relief from bacteria and 99.6 per cent relief from viral infection,” he adds.

Other manufacturers of these masks in the Indian market include 3M, which are also in popular demand.

As for the air purifiers, Atlanta Healthcare has two categories – Retail and Institutional and eight options under these. These products use the iCluster technology, which is a multi-staged synchronized filtration technology.

These masks are available at medical stores and other big retail stores while the air purifiers are available on big retail stores like the Future Group stores etc. All these products are also available on e-commerce platforms like Amazon, PayTm, Flipkart and the manufacturers’ own websites. “For direct sales, we have also tied up with BlueDart for bulk orders etc,” Jain adds.