Fires Cause Humidifier Sales to Soar 300% (And Companies Are Trying to Restock)

Extreme heat and fires make air quality so poor in many municipalities that they have put the capital, São Paulo, at the top of the list of cities with the worst air quality in the world.

It is really hard to breathe, and in this scenario, many people are looking for alternatives to try to improve their breathing, and humidifiers and air conditioners can be important allies for the population. As a result, retail chains are already seeing growth in sales of these items.

“Regardless of the model, they are important strategies during dry weather, as they can prevent various symptoms such as coughing, eye irritation and allergy attacks,” says Ingrid Daniel Cardoso Carvalho, a pulmonologist at Albert Sabin Hospital in São Paulo.

However, she warns that while they are a great ally in dry weather, excessive and incorrect use of humidifiers can cause damage, such as mold.

Increase in sales

The city of Magalu, for example, recorded an increase in More than 300% In the sales of humidifiers when comparing the whole of August with the first ten days of September this year. The high demand occurred mainly in the southern, southeastern and central-western regions.

Compared to August this year and the same month in 2023, sales growth was 30%. The company confirms that it has already started restocking its product inventory to provide customers with a variety of options.

The DPSP Group (Drogaria São Paulo e Pacheco) has also registered a significant increase in humidifier sales in recent months. To give you an idea, from January to August this year, there was a 48.7% growth in sales, compared to the same period last year.

Looking only at the state of São Paulo, sales growth in the same period was 66.7%, when comparing 2024 to 2023.

The company confirms that by September 2024 alone, the equivalent of the entire month of August 2023 in humidifiers will have already been sold, in addition to recording an increase of more than 50% compared to sales in August of last year.

Alternatives

Sales of inhalers and nebulizers have also been on the rise. Data from Omrom, the world’s leading Japanese multinational inhaler manufacturer, shows that 1,060 million inhalers were sold by July this year. Last year, there were 1,650 million units.

The company highlights that sales of inhalers and nebulizers in August were 30% higher than the historical average, and expects September to be up 50% compared to the same month last year.

Casas Bahia also saw a 5% increase in demand for air conditioners and a 25% increase in fans compared to the same period last year (the first ten days of September). Compared to the first ten days of August, demand is even greater, with a 200% increase in air conditioners and fans.

According to Eletros (National Association of Electronic Products Manufacturers), air conditioner sales increased by 83% in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year.