A Year Later, Shoppers Still Want Hand Sanitizer, Comfort Food and Leisurewear

As we reflect on one full year of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s clear day-to-day life as we knew it will never be quite the same. Ecommerce analytics platform Profitero has new research about consumer behavior during quarantine to back it up. Germ aware For starters, our hyper vigilance of germs isn’t going away any time soon. In fact, Profitero found searches on Amazon for hand sanitizer and disinfectant “peaked at astronomical levels” during quarantine and remain 6,136% and 7,139% higher, respectively, than they were in January 2020. "Face mask" remained the No. 1 search term on Amazon in February 2021. At-home comfort food Baking remains a popular hobby—as consumers also continue to seek out comfort food. Searches for “yeast for baking” are up 8,462%, while searches for “mac and cheese” are up 476%. Profitero expects to see the trend toward home cooking remain. This aligns with a recent report from the Consumer Brands Association, which found demand for packaged foods will fall from a peak in 2020, but nevertheless remain elevated from 2019. That’s because we’re still in a period of high unemployment and home cooking is more affordable than eating out. It’s also because some employees will continue to work remotely, which means fewer opportunities to pick up breakfast or lunch during a commute. Consumer anxiety about crowded spaces like bars and restaurants will linger, the CBA found. In addition, consumers have invested a lot in their kitchens in the past year and will likely want to make the most of those expenditures. Comfy clothes Another trend: comfort. As the pandemic continues, weary consumers continue to prioritize self-care, in how they dress and with products that pamper. The “fitness freakout,” as Profitero calls it, has faded. The search term “sweatpants for women” on Amazon is still up 821%. In addition, searches for “bed desk” and “stress balls” are up 24 times over January 2020. Last summer, web analytics firm SimiliarWeb found similar behavior as consumers invested in athleisure to wear while working from home. Panic buying staples like toilet paper seems to be behind us, however. In March 2020, searches for “bleach” were up 9,291%. Three months later, traffic had dropped to just two times. Similarly, the term “cold and flu medicine for adults” increased 193 times in the early days of the pandemic, but Profitero said it “hasn’t reached anywhere close since." Amazon Shoppers Are Buying a Lot More Pet Food and Hair Dye in Quarantine