Consumers are purchasing more health and wellness items closely associated with the pandemic as COVID-19 cases rise again, according to data from Instacart, reports Grocery Dive. Sales of products like disinfectant sprays, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, and cold medicine were up 15 percent or more on the Instacart platform, while mask sales increased 37 percent during the past three weeks.
"While we don’t anticipate seeing a return to early COVID-era behaviors like extreme pantry loading, we won’t be surprised to see consumers start re-stocking their pantries in preparation for more time at home and increased safety measures if COVID-19 cases continue to rise and local communities start to pull back on reopening plans," said Instacart chief operating officer Asha Sharma.
Instacart also noted shoppers are showing continued interest in avoiding contact when receiving orders. Customers currently specify the “Leave at My Door Delivery” option, which Instacart introduced nationwide in March 2020, for more than 55 percent of orders, according to the company. Full Story
Related: Instacart to Implement Robotic Solutions; Instacart Supports Black-Owned Brands.