Aavin green magic shortage leaves Chennai consumers scrambling

CHENNAI: Complaints of a shortage of Aavin's Green Magic milk have surfaced from several parts of the city, with consumers and retailers claiming supplies have dropped sharply over the past two days, forcing many households to switch to alternative brands. Aavin, however, maintained that the popular milk variant continues to be supplied and distributed without interruption.

Residents said the shortage has been particularly noticeable in neighbourhood stores, where Green Magic milk either runs out within hours of delivery or is unavailable altogether.

K Saravanan, a resident of Lakshmipuram in Kolathur, said his family regularly purchases four 500 ml pouches of Green Magic milk every alternate day.

"In our area, only a supermarket on Kadappa Road stocks Green Magic consistently. Other shops either do not get supplies or ask customers to buy Delite milk instead. Both are priced at Rs 22 for a 500 ml pouch, but Green Magic contains 4.5% fat compared to 3.5% in Delite. The supermarket received only a fraction of its usual stock, which got sold out quickly," he said.

A staff member at the supermarket said the outlet normally receives around 120 pouches of Green Magic milk every day. "For the last two days, we have received only about 25 pouches. Demand is high, so we restricted sales to one pouch per customer," she said

Retailers in other parts of the city reported similar issues. A shop owner in Royapettah said no Green Magic milk had been supplied to the outlet since Friday.

"Customers specifically ask for Green Magic. While other milk brands are available, many prefer this variant because of its quality and price. Several customers have visited multiple shops looking for it and returned disappointed. The shortage has also affected our sales," he said.

Some shopkeepers alleged that Aavin was pushing the Delite variant, which has a lower fat content, instead of Green Magic, despite both products being sold at the same price. Retailers claimed the move could be aimed at reducing procurement and production costs, though no official confirmation was available.

Consumers said the disruption has forced them to purchase costlier alternatives. A Royapettah resident said the family had been using Green Magic milk for years and had little choice but to switch brands.

"We have been buying alternative milk brands for the last two days. It has increased our household expenses and caused inconvenience," the resident said.

In Vepery, a retailer said supplies of Green Magic milk had fallen by nearly 50% over the last two days. "We received much less stock than usual on Friday and Saturday. To meet customer demand, we supplied Delite milk instead," he said.

The shortage has hit middle-income and lower-income households the hardest, especially families with children and senior citizens who depend on the milk variant for their daily consumption.

While Aavin officials insisted that Green Magic milk is being supplied normally across the city, consumers and retailers said the reduced availability at shops paints a different picture, leaving many customers scrambling from one outlet to another in search of the popular milk packet. Retailers have urged Aavin to clarify the supply situation and restore regular distribution to avoid further inconvenience to consumers.