It is learned from the outside world that since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic in 2020, there have been many changes in the shopping behavior of American consumers. Although people's consumption habits have begun to return to pre-epidemic trends after entering 2022, there is one trend that continues, that is, stockpiling shopping.

Initially, consumer stockpiling was a panic buying phenomenon in response to the epidemic lockdown, but as people spend less and less time at home, why are consumers still keen on stockpiling and buying? Even more? Here are four reasons.

1. The epidemic is not over yet

Although the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States is easing, it is not over yet, and consumers are worried about the uncertainty of the future.

2. New living space

Working from home has given consumers more freedom to choose where to live, and more Americans are willing to live in the suburbs than before the pandemic, where houses are generally larger, meaning people have enough space to store a lot of items.

3. Work from home continues

Working from home reduces consumers' commuting time and people can do more things at home, such as cooking, which indirectly increases consumers' single purchase volume.

4. Price and supply chain issues

Shortages of goods caused by supply chain disruptions have surged in 2021, while the shortfall in supply has also caused commodity prices to soar. As consumers continue to worry about supply chain disruptions and price increases, they have also begun buying in bulk to get discounts on goods.

Top “Stock Up” Lists on Amazon

1. Groceries

The category that Amazon has received the biggest boost from the "stockpiling boom" is groceries. In 2021, Amazon's revenue from bulk products such as canned fruits and vegetables increased by nearly 50% year-on-year, and revenue from bulk dehydrated and freeze-dried foods has also been steadily increasing.

Data provided by JungleScout shows that the 6-pound milk powder shown below has seen revenue increase by more than 3,000% on Amazon in the past six months.

Sales trends for pasta, rice, and beans on Amazon also reflect consumers’ shift toward stockpiling, with revenue for these dry goods on Amazon more than 70% higher than in March 2020, while the number of ASINs and brands in these three categories increased by nearly 30% and 40% respectively.

2. Food storage and preservation products

As grocery purchases rise, consumers are also turning to DIY food preservation. In 2021, Amazon's overall freezer sales more than doubled, and unit sales of some canned and food storage products have jumped 250-450% since August 2021.

The freezers pictured below have grown nearly 600% in the past six months.

Sales of the Canning Essentials Kit on Amazon have grown 432% in the past six months.

Sales of these airtight food storage jars have increased 285% on Amazon in the past six months.

3. Branded goods

As demand for these products increases, brand loyalty is shifting toward retailers that offer high-volume products, and wholesale retailers such as Sam's Club and Costco have also seen growth in sales of private-label products.

The growing interest in these private-label brands is reflected in Amazon's sales, with unit sales for Kirkland Signature (Costco) up 21% over last year and Member's Mark (Sam's Club) up 54%.

4. Paper products + cleaning supplies

As demand rises, new competitors have emerged in some of Amazon's marketplaces, but sales have steadily declined. Since reaching a two-year peak in November 2020, the number of brands in Amazon's paper products category (which includes products such as toilet paper, paper towels and napkins) has increased nearly 70%, but unit sales have fallen 45%.

For example, the 20-roll pack of Cottonelle toilet paper in the picture below saw unit sales fall by more than 90% between December 2020 and December 2021.

Cleaning supplies have seen a similar slowdown, with Amazon's revenue reaching a two-year peak in September 2021 but having been steadily declining since then.

Revenue from the 10-pack of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers on Amazon has fallen 71% in the past six months.

How Brands and Sellers Can Take Advantage of Amazon’s Stock-Buying Trend

Even as consumers prepare for life after the pandemic, the trend toward stockpiling in certain categories has clearly not abated. Since most of the influencing factors are also likely to persist, brands will have an opportunity to capitalize on this trend on Amazon.

Increase product offerings

Nearly half of Amazon brands expect to launch new products or expand existing product lines in 2022. The trend of stockpiling purchases means that sellers can increase the quantity of existing products without launching a completely new product line and can identify potential categories by researching market opportunities.

In the vacuum sealers category, for example, the number of brands fell by nearly 25% last quarter, while unit sales grew by nearly 35%.

Build brand loyalty

59% of Amazon sellers sell private labels, giving them full control over the marketing, packaging, and promotion of their products. Capturing the stockpiling sales trend will help increase brand awareness and build customer loyalty.

Win by quantity

If another brand has a higher market share for a certain product on Amazon, offering your product in bulk can help you stay competitive by serving customers who are missing out on other available options.

Gain cost advantage

Profit margins on Amazon are already high: 57% of brands have profit margins of more than 10%. Since many suppliers and manufacturers offer quantity discounts, sellers can reduce costs and gain revenue by taking advantage of these discounts while providing large quantities of goods to your customers.

Provide strategic ideas for marketing on other platforms

Understanding how stockpiling trends influence buyers will help inform strategies for other aspects of your business, such as content marketing on social media, to drive traffic to your brand.

Editor ✎ Xiao Zhu/

Disclaimer: This article is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without permission.