Coronavirus: Outrage as hand sanitiser goes on sale at Sheffield market for £9 a bottle

The 300ml containers of Carex hand gel were being advertised today at DP Market News in Crystal Peaks Market, as concerns over coronavirus grow, with potential customers advised ‘limited stock’ was available.

Hand gel has become one of the most sought after products amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with bottles being sold online for hugely inflated prices.

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Superdrug sells a 300ml bottle of Carex antibacterial hand gel for £3.49, and the £9 price tag at Crystal Peaks has led some to accuse the seller of cashing in on the coronavirus outbreak.

Reacting to a photo shared online, some people told how they had reported the pricing to Trading Standards at Sheffield Council, though others defended the stallholder, pointing out that suppliers may have upped their asking price due to demand.

One man commented: “Totally gobsmacked at the price from this stall in Crystal Peaks.”

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Another said: “Absolute joke.... my youngest son has a heart defect (he’s high risk) and I cannot buy any hand sanitiser or handwashes anywhere and this stall owner thinks it’s acceptable to be selling hand sanitiser at thise prices.”

Earlier this week, a Spar convenience store in Sheffield sparked outrage by selling individual toilet rolls for £1 each, prompting Spar to apologise for what it said had been an error by a junior member of staff.

The Star has attempted to contact DP Market News and Sheffield Council.