By Juan M. Muñoz, ( Artichoke CEO)

(3min reading)

Electronic commerce in the United States has seen going from strength to strength in a way that was not foreseen, despite the confinement here started later and is more relaxed than in Spain.

This high is in total volume, it goes through neighborhoods. Not everything is sold more and neither all rises or falls, even less equally. Those who have shown it best have been the guys from Stackline in Seattle. They have published the table below that shows the 100 categories whose sales go up the most and the 100 that go down the most in March 2020 in regards to March 2019.

The number one, the one that raises the most, for obvious reasons, are the disposable gloves (+ 670%). And the products that fall the most in sales, the suitcases (-77%).

The list is self-explanatory and it is so fun to look at it. I will only give a brief summary which is a platitude aimed in my direction.

THOSE WHO GO UP

• Products to treat cough and cold (+ 535%).
• Food and snacks. For example, soups sell 397% more than a year ago.
• Also, household items to prepare food, such as bread-making machines that rise by 652%.
• Other household supplies such as drugstore and personal hygiene products.
• Equipment for exercising at home: weights (+ 307%), mats, yoga equipment, ping pong rackets (+ 87%) …
• Equipment for work at home: PC screens (+ 172%), chairs, desks, mice, keyboards…
• Beauty treatments: hair dyes (+ 115%), hair clippers, nail polish…

THOSE WHO GO DOWN

• Products related to travel, suitcases, backpacks…
• Material for parties and events (-55%).
• Sports equipment such as swimming trunks (-64%) or gym bags (-57%).
• Formal clothes and shoes for weddings and ceremonies (-63%).
• Accessories supplies and spare parts for the car such as car mats (-50%).

It is predicted that the confinement will last at least until May and the return to normal life is going to be gradual. I even dare to say that this epidemic will leave a permanent effect on consumer habits, what we buy and where we buy. An era of opportunities opens up for e-commerce and Direct Response (teleshopping or live shopping, catalog and telephone sales).

Furthermore, options are opened for more players. Amazon, due to its position as the absolute leader in the USA (it has almost 50 percent share in eCommerce), has seen its fulfillment service collapse and has prioritized shipments of essential products. And this has made many customers look for other marketplaces and online stores with faster deliveries.