One of the first prominently noticed effects of the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t the infection itself, but the way it altered people’s shopping habits. The first few weeks following the outbreak were defined by the general public panic-buying products at supermarkets and stores across the country. However this trend was short-lived as people realized supplies were still plentiful in the age of Coronavirus.
Aside from essential goods such as food and personal care products, people have been spending their disposable income on a variety of non-essential products to make life a bit more comfortable during the lockdown. Let’s take a look at some of the products that are favoured by people in this new era.
Cooking as a hobby
Many people with ample free time have begun honing their skills in the kitchen during the lockdown. These individuals have discovered their passion for cooking during their attempts to avoid eating out. The net effect of this new hobby has been a boost in sales for kitchen appliances such as rice cookers, sandwich makers, and waffle makers over the past few months.
Some daring individuals have even begun baking their own bread at home. This would explain why there has been an uptick in sales for bread makers at retails stores.
This interest in cooking isn’t limited to just the kitchen, as many individuals have also taken up gardening during the pandemic. There has been a noticeable rise in online purchases for gardening products and supplies as people look to devote more time towards tending their gardens and vegetable patches.
While it’s next to impossible for people to survive exclusively on their home-grown produce, gardening still provides locked-down residents with the chance to enjoy the outdoors from the comfort of their properties. Gardening supplies are likely to continue being popular through the pandemic due to this reason.
Traditional toys and games
The popularity of video games is at an all-time high worldwide, but many people are choosing to engage in non-digital forms of entertainment as a way of getting a break from television and computer screens.
There has been a noticeable increase in sales for traditional board games and puzzles over the past two months, with many classic games such as Scrabble, Monopoly, Cluedo and Uno making a comeback.
Accessories for other indoor games such as table tennis and billiards have also risen in sales during the pandemic.
Beauty accessories
One product category that has witnessed a remarkable boost in popularity during the pandemic is beauty accessories. This came as a surprise to most retailers, as one would assume the demand for beauty accessories would decrease during a lockdown due to individuals staying at home more often.
However, people have been spending more time following and practicing makeup tutorials during their free time indoors. This trend has largely kept the makeup industry afloat during the crisis, and isn’t likely to stop any time soon.
The pandemic has certainly changed people’s spending habits, and will continue influencing the economy in the near future. Companies that wish to make the most of these new trends should focus on creating products that can be enjoyed by people from the safety and comfort of their homes.