Now months into the coronavirus pandemic and weeks into lockdown, we’ve seen surges in toilet paper stockpiling, baking essentials flying off the shelves, and the more obvious things like hand sanitizer and cleaning items rocket in popularity.
But, as the weeks go on, Americans are changing what they’re buying as we try to make the most of these surreal times. Revealing the changing shopping habits of Americans, Nielsen has announced which new items are seeing a surge in demand, as we leave behind the toilet paper panic buying and move towards new items that rise in popularity as quickly as they’re selling out.
In early March, the soaps, disinfectants and health and safety products boomed in popularity, with Nielsen reporting a 470% increase in hand sanitizer sales. And as for toilet paper, Americans were even panic buying bidets in case stores ran out of toilet paper.
We also saw Disney + hit 50 million subscribers as more people stayed at home and streamed more TV and films.
As the weeks go on, what are Americans buying now? Here’s our round up of the biggest booming products and where you can still find them.
1. Hair dye and hair clippers
As hair salons stay closed due to the coronavirus, Americans are resorting to finding their own ways for keeping their locks luscious (or at least half decent).
In the week April 4 to April 13, sales of hair clippers were up 166% and hair dyes and coloring products were up 23% from this time last year. If your hair is in need of a trim, check out our guide to the best hair clippers, or you can find some online at amazon.com.
2. Fruit and vegetable seeds
Even though some of the biggest stores are still open, Americans are looking for new ways to become more self-sufficient as sales of fruit and vegetable seeds rocket. From carrots and zucchini to peppers and basil, you can still get fruit and vegetable seeds at homedepot.com and target.com.
3. Baking yeast
It’s no surprise that with so many people stuck inside, Americans have taken to the kitchen to whip up a storm and get baking. There’s no doubt about it, with Nielsen reporting a 302.5% increase in the sales of baking yeast compared to 2019 and with the best bread makers selling out all over the place, baking supplies are now like gold dust.
If you fancy rising to the challenge of making your own bread, target.com has limited stock on yeast.
4. Alcohol
While we’re stuck at home, more and more Americans have been stocking up on wine, hard liquor, and beer, with even 1 in 3 Americans drinking alcohol while working from home, according to a study. And it’s not just grocery shoppers that are adding a few bottles of booze to the shopping cart. Online wine delivery has also seen a huge boom.
If you’re looking for somewhere to keep your drinks cool, check out the best wine fridges or head to winebuyers.com for a great selection of drinks that can be delivered to your door.
