- US sales of hand sanitizer soared 428% in the week ending January 25 compared with the same period last year.
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Coronavirus fears appear to be driving up sales of oat milk, fruit snacks, toilet paper, and more — here's what people are buying
Nielsen data shows people are buying masks, hand sanitizer, oat milk, nutrition bars, and more as coronavirus spreads.
milk
The novel coronavirus has led to dire shortages at stores in China , Italy , and elsewhere in recent weeks as retailers grapple with supply chain disruptions and a surge in sales of certain products, such as face masks and hand sanitizer.
Some supply shortages may now be spreading to the US , as consumers rush to stock up on medical supplies and shelf-stable foods.
So what are people buying, exactly?
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Nielsen data shows spikes in sales ofmasks, thermometers, and many shelf-stable foods starting as early as January in the US.
Here's the list of products that saw some of the biggest sales increases in the week ending January 25 which is the most recent data available compared to the same week in 2019, according to Nielsen Retail Measurement Services.
Oat milk: 441% sales increase
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Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
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Oat milk is generally shelf stable, unlike dairy milk.
Medical masks: 428% sales increase
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Pichi Chuang/Reuters
These include surgical and N95 respirator masks.
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Household maintenance masks: 218% sales increase
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Reuters
Thermometers: 43% sales increase
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Xinhua Zhang Yiwen / AP
Hand sanitizer: 20% sales increase
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Shoshy Ciment/Business Insider
Fruit snacks: 10.4% sales increase
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Amazon
Pretzels: 8.2% sales increase
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Shoshy Ciment/Business Insider
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Cat food: 7.5% sales increase
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Waitforlight/Getty Images
Sanitary pads: 7% sales increase
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Reuters
Health and nutrition bars: 6.6% sales increase
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Business Insider/Hayley Peterson
Vitamins: 5.4% sales increase
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Irene Jiang/Business Insider
Toilet paper: 5.4% sales increase
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Walmart
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Tampons: 4.5% sales increase
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Shoshy Ciment/Business Insider
Water: 2.4% sales increase
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Hayley Peterson/Business Insider
See Also:
- Walmart, McDonald's, Home Depot, and 7 other retailers share how the coronavirus outbreak could affect business
- US stores start running low on masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and more amid growing fears of coronavirus
- These are the most popular items at Trader Joe's, and a surprisingly healthy item won the top spot in most states
SEE ALSO: US stores start running low on masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and more amid growing fears of coronavirus
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