Think back to when you were little. Remember when you were bored on a rainy day, and your mum told you to do a puzzle? It seems that’s the advice the whole country has now taken as we head into social distancing and prepare for a coronavirus lockdown.
Forget toilet paper and pasta, online shoppers are focusing on passing the time and they’re making some interesting choices. Over the past 48 hours, a bunch of products have jumped from relative obscurity to ranking highly in their respective departments.
Here’s what Aussies have been buying on Amazon as they prepare to stay at home for the foreseeable future.
Jigsaw puzzles
Among the items which saw the biggest jump in sales were 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles. In fact, puzzles dominated the toys department for possibly the first time ever.
The Holdson Southern Skies 4 Prestige 1,000-piece puzzle shot up by a massive 38,386%. That’s not a typo, Aussies really do seem to love puzzles. Meanwhile, the Charles Woysoki Whiskers Puzzle depicting Remington the Horticulturalist also rose in the ranks by 12,897%.
The puzzle with the biggest increase in sales? That’s the Sunsout Playful Kittens puzzle, which changed its sales rank so dramatically that Amazon can’t even calculate a percentage change.
Books
On the Kindle Store, The Legacy of Anne Frank by Gillian Walnes Perry saw the third-biggest climb in sales rank over the past two days. The book isn’t actually Anne Frank’s own diary, but instead looks at the impact of her story around the world. It may be possible that shoppers made a connection between self-isolation and Anne Frank’s time in the secret annex.
Children’s textbooks such as Hinkler Maths Basics 3 and School Zone Kindergarten Basics also shot up, with the latter rising in the ranks by 148,874%. While schools have not suspended classes just yet, parents are likely preparing for it to happen. Textbooks designed for home can be a handy addition to online classes which may become a reality in the near future.
Given that pasta has vanished from supermarket shelves as everyone hoards food, it seems fitting that Sarah Walker Caron’s One-Pot Pasta Cookbook rose by 83,151%.
Pet care
It would seem that heaps of Aussies are prepping to keep their pets indoors 24/7, which means it’s toilet training time.
Indoor toilet training pads for puppies and cats saw the biggest jump in sales, while Rug Doctor Platinum Urine Eliminator Spray also witnessed a huge spike.
Chew toys and dog beds also saw an increase in sales, perhaps as people look to make their pets’ time indoors a bit more comfortable.
Hygiene
It should go without saying that toilet paper, sanitiser, wipes, facemasks and air freshner dominate the movers and shakers for their respective categories.
Perhaps more interestingly, the SUPVOX Oral and Rectal Thermometer for Children and Babies was the third-biggest riser among… kitchenware. Fever is one symptom of the coronavirus, so it’s not a bad idea to have a thermometer at the ready.
