When the COVID‑19 lockdown hit, shoppers went wild, and the top 10 crazy buys that dominated Amazon’s charts (excluding the infamous toilet‑paper frenzy) reveal just how inventive and resourceful consumers became.
10 Elastic
When quarantine first rolled around, the nation was split on face‑mask etiquette. Celebrities flaunted N95s, while frontline workers sometimes went without any protection at all. Early medical guidance even warned against mask use for the general public, only to reverse that stance later and urge shoppers and essential‑workers alike to wear them.
Because basic masks vanished from shelves, a DIY revolution erupted. Social‑media feeds flooded with “how‑to‑make‑your‑own‑mask” tutorials, showing crafty folks fashioning coverings from bandanas, scarves, old t‑shirts, socks, and even bra cups. The common thread tying all those makeshift masks together? A good length of elastic to keep everything snug.
The shortage didn’t stop at personal use. Volunteers rallied, with Joann stores launching a massive “Masks for America” drive that amassed over 114 million elastic‑based masks. Fashion designers and hospitals received donated sewing machines to keep the production line humming, ensuring a steady flow of homemade protection for those on the front lines.
Unsurprisingly, elastic now reigns supreme on Amazon’s arts, crafts, and sewing bestseller list. After all, a mask without elastic simply won’t stay put, and the demand shows no sign of waning.
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9 Baby Wipes
When hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes disappeared from aisles, many turned to baby wipes as a quick‑fix sanitizing solution. Over half of Amazon’s best‑selling baby items are now wipes, a stark shift from pre‑pandemic trends where disposable baby products were on a decline due to falling birth rates. (Who knows? Maybe a few weeks of lockdown will spark a baby boom nine months down the line!)
It’s worth noting that most baby wipes aren’t formulated to fight coronavirus. To truly act as a sanitizing wipe, a product must contain at least 70 percent isopropyl alcohol. Savvy shoppers might get better results by soaking paper towels in a bleach‑water mixture held in a coffee can, creating a DIY disinfectant that actually meets the required potency.
8 Yeast
SSA & Company, a global management consultancy, estimates that 35‑40 percent of Americans are cooking at home for the first time thanks to lockdown restrictions. This shift sparked a massive surge in baking supplies, with yeast leading the charge.
During the latter half of March, baking yeast sales exploded by a staggering 647 percent—outpacing every other consumer‑packaged‑goods category. Even spiral‑cut hams saw a 622 percent jump, buoyed partly by the approaching Easter holiday.
Amazon’s grocery and gourmet division saw a 77 percent rise in sales during the first week of April compared with two months earlier. Meanwhile, the Walmart Grocery app outperformed Amazon by 20 percent, hitting an all‑time high; daily Walmart Grocery downloads surged 460 percent from January to early April.
7 Kitchen Scales
Food scales quickly climbed the bestseller ranks as more people embraced home cooking. Shoppers discovered that precise measurements make a world of difference, and kitchen gadgets like instant pots, air fryers, and waffle makers all saw a 7 percent uptick over the previous April. Other “non‑essential” helpers—rice cookers, vacuum sealers, and soda makers—also found a place on the shelves.
6 Portable Ice Makers
Consumers continued to stock fresh meat and produce, yet they also sought items that could extend shelf life. Frozen‑fruit sales grew nearly five‑fold compared with fresh fruit in the first quarter of 2020, reflecting a clear desire for longer‑lasting provisions.
Chest freezers topped Amazon’s appliance bestseller list during the first month of quarantine, driven by fears that grocery stores might run dry—especially for meat. These freezers also serve as perfect companions for the growing volume of home‑cooked meals, and a vacuum sealer (see #5) makes a logical add‑on.
With freezers in place, portable ice‑maker machines have become the star of the appliances category. Unable to visit bars or drive‑through iced‑coffee spots, shoppers are now crafting their own chilled beverages at home, turning a simple appliance into a pandemic‑era essential.
5 Eyebrow Razors
While overall beauty‑product sales fell about 50 percent year‑over‑year, remote workers still needed to look presentable for Zoom calls. With salons and barbershops shuttered, consumers turned to DIY grooming tools.
Hair‑clipper sales surged 166 percent, and hair‑color purchases rose 23 percent. Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon noted, “People are starting to need a haircut. You see more beard trimmers and hair‑color… It’s interesting to watch the dynamic play out.” Women’s eyebrow razors now rank among Amazon’s top five beauty‑and‑personal‑care items, while men’s nose‑and‑ear‑hair trimmers peaked and are now on a gentle decline—good news for those slow‑growing whiskers.
4 Ping Pong Paddles
After satisfying immediate protection, food, and grooming needs, shoppers searched for ways to fill idle hours at home. Puzzles, colored pencils, and classic board games like Jenga and Connect 4 were already popular, but ping‑pong paddles stood out with an 89 percent sales increase.
As spring warmed, outdoor‑friendly items such as bubbles, wading pools, and sidewalk chalk flew off shelves. Exercise apparel and equipment also rose in demand, and even bird‑watching supplies—seed and feeders—saw a 91 percent boost in early April.
3 Tailbone Relief Cushions
By late March, roughly 16 million U.S. knowledge workers had shifted to remote work, converting kitchen islands and dining tables into makeshift home offices. As the trend grew, so did the demand for office essentials.
Telecommuters quickly exhausted supplies of copy paper and printer ink, prompting a surge in purchases of reams, envelopes, high‑yield cartridges, packaging tape, Sharpies, and—surprisingly—tailbone‑pain‑relief cushions. These ergonomic aids rounded out the top‑ten list, helping workers stay comfortable during marathon video calls.
2 Sticks, Switches, and Dots
Stuck at home, people turned to home‑entertainment gear to keep boredom at bay. Boy Genius Report (BGR) surveyed its readers and discovered a surge in demand for “new toys” while sheltering in place.
Streaming media players—commonly called streaming sticks—emerged as the clear winner, topping charts from the start of the lockdown and maintaining their lead. Affordable options like the Roku Streaming Stick and Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K can be snagged for under $50, providing endless binge‑watching possibilities.
The Nintendo Switch Lite, briefly off the bestseller list only due to stock shortages, reclaimed its spot as the top handheld gaming device, available in a rainbow of colors (though many are pre‑owned). Meanwhile, the Echo Dot, a voice‑activated smart speaker, solidified its place as one of Amazon’s all‑time best‑sellers, letting users check weather, play music, set timers, and even control smart‑home devices—all with a simple voice command. Multiple Dots in a household turned every room into a personal assistant hub.
1 Poop Bags
Many animal lovers never adopt because a busy schedule makes pet‑care challenging. Lockdowns, however, gave people the time and space to welcome new furry companions.
The Los Angeles branch of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported a 70 percent jump in animals entering foster care. New York City shelters experienced a tidal wave of adoptions and fosters, with organizations like Muddy Paws Rescue and Best Friends Animal Society nearly running out of cats and dogs as applications surged ten‑fold by the end of March. “For the moment, we definitely don’t have any dogs left to match,” said Muddy Paws marketing director Anna Lai, noting the “great problem” of overwhelming demand.
While the broader stock market struggled, pet‑focused companies such as Chewy Inc. and PedMed Express Inc. thrived, each climbing 7 percent by the end of Q1. Chewy’s home‑delivery model, perfectly suited to lockdown life, drove a 35 percent sales increase, underscoring the recession‑proof nature of pet supplies like food, litter, and accessories.
On Amazon, pet‑care items—including nail clippers, flea medication, fur trimmers, and—yes—poop bags—ranked among the top sellers. After an initial spike in April, sales leveled off as households exhausted their panic‑stockpiles, yet the items remain solid performers.
Let’s hope that the new foster parents keep their adopted companions once life returns to normal, ensuring the pandemic‑induced pet boom isn’t just a fleeting flash.
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