It was just a couple of weeks ago that a virtual kapitbahay from popular Facebook group Home Buddies shared her simple housekeeping hack: a bar of Irish Spring soap by the airconditioning vent as a low-cost but superbly effective air freshener.
The post was a hit among the 2.3 million Home Buddies members, who took to Facebook to show their own Irish Spring-loaded airconditioner setups, and to joke about hoarding the bars of the classic bath soap to use at home.
Well, maybe they weren’t joking after all. In a viral tweet, Twitter user @MangerAbet posted a photo of people leaving warehouse retail outlet S&R with pallets of the stuff.
Kakahome buddies nyo yan. Sold out ata stock ng irish spring sa S&R pic.twitter.com/tLeUWjKhhw
— justine (@MangerAbet) June 6, 2021
And if the responses are anything to go by, it seems like there might be some truth to the rumors, along with fears that there might be a bit of the ol’ market manipulation going on.
This is sad. Im a regular user of Irish Spring, and sakto kkaubos lng ng last pack ko knina, went to shopwise na usually ko bnbilhan at laging puno yung shelves nila. Knina sold out.
— JC (@jc_a33) June 6, 2021
Tapos ibebenta nila ng mas mahal. Kapag nawala yung demand, lugi na. Nasa atin pa din kung bibilhin nila yan ng mas mahal or will find an alternative way.
— Zoey (@sntiagojoey) June 7, 2021
Resellers na malala ang mark up price. Putaena.
— Dabó (@iamdaverybest) June 6, 2021
Hindi naman scarce ang sabon and hindi naman life or death. I think applicable dito yung: let people enjoy things. And kung ireresell man nila yan ng sobrang taas, parang wala namang kakagat diyan. Pero kung meron man: A fool and his money are soon parted eme. Sksksks
— Dalai Llama (@HisWooliness) June 7, 2021
Not only has this latest craze caused everyone to forget the existence of, IDK, any number of commercial air fresheners readily available on the market, but it may also be a demonstration of the soft power of the private Facebook group that has exploded in growth over Manila’s extended community quarantine periods.
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