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Andy Sullivan: Against the Grain

Last Thursday, I was listening to Plash Phelps’ show on ‘60’s on 6 and he mentioned that roller skating was seeing a big resurgence during the pandemic.  That made me wonder what other things were making a comeback during Covid.  Some might surprise you.  Some may not.  You are probably using quite a few of them.

Kellogg reported an increase of their sales by 23% in their April first quarter report.  Alongside some other favorite shelf products like Slim Jim, the Covid-19 virus has forced us to find comfort in foods we thought we had outgrown as adults. 

Home fitness equipment has seen an incredible sales growth of almost 170% because of the pandemic.  Thermometers are suddenly all the rage once again.  I’m sure you remember having one at home and your parents whipping it out whenever you had a cold or flu.  According to an article from CNN, the demand for thermometers are up 900%.

I’ve talked about Zoom in previous columns.  Their stock has risen 150% since the beginning of the outbreak even though there has recently been a small decline affecting its shares.  Another form of technology seeing a giant uptick in sales is the Nintendo Switch.  Sales have doubled since last March.  Sales usually peak during the holidays but the pandemic has forced buyers to dip in now. 

People flock to puzzles during the pandemic, not surprisingly.  They’re cross-generational, require no instruction and are affordable.  According to an April CNN article, game maker Ravensburger has seen U.S. puzzle sales soar 370% year over in the past two weeks, according to the company’s North American CEO Filip Francke. 

Google won’t tell you how many people are interested in bidets.  This once old-world way of cleansing is now popular again due to limited toilet paper resources caused by panic shopping.  In some cases, sales have tripled since the pandemic began.

This next one should be a given.  Hand sanitizer sales have spiked over 800% this year.  The article from www.countryliving.com says it’s expected to be a hot commodity for up to the next seven years.  As of last May, stand-alone freezer sales were up 45% from March to April, with the trend expected to continue.  Kiddie pools, hair dye and trampolines have also seen a rise in sales in the past year.  I can only assume those trends will continue this Summer. 

 

 

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