7 Of The Weirdest Products People Have Been Buying During The Pandemic
There’s no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic has changed our spending habits dramatically. With more time spent at home, it’s not surprising that electricity and grocery bills have gone up. And with nonessential businesses forced to shutter, many of us have invested in products from hair clippers to fitness equipment in order to maintain a sense of routine.
But not all of the pandemic spending trends have been so obvious. Thanks to a combination of boredom and fear, Americans have been buying up some surprising items. Here’s a look at seven unexpected products that have seen surges in sales since the lockdowns first began.
1. Roller skates
With lockdown orders in effect around the country, antsy Americans have been looking for new hobbies to occupy their time and excuses to go outside. For many, roller skating turned out to be a perfect solution.
Google searches for ”roller skates″ spiked considerably in May and retailers suddenly struggled to keep up with the demand, The Washington Post reported. California-based Moxi Roller Skates faced 12 times its usual sales and developed a massive backlog of orders, prompting its manufacturer to open a second factory to fulfill them all, according to founder Michelle Steilen. Impala Rollerskates’ pastel fade skates sold out the same day they were released during the lockdown, chief executive Matt Hill told the Post.
Because skates became just about impossible to find in stock, many consumers turned to secondhand markets. Online marketplace Mercari, for example, has seen an average of more than 21,000 searches for roller skates per week over the last six weeks ― an 892% volume increase since the pandemic ― with more than 300 new listings for roller skates added weekly.
2. RVs
As the pandemic raged into summer, Americans with a travel bug were desperate for a way to sightsee while maintaining social distancing. Recreational vehicles have been selling like crazy (even yours truly bought a used one). In fact,...
