In March, most shoppers on Amazon looked for toilet paper, face masks, hand sanitizers, and other essentials, as well as items for working from home, at home sports equipment, and offline entertainment. However, most of the in-demand searches returned no items in stock.
Working from home has increased demand for webcams, computer monitors, and keyboards. Consumers are buying resistance bands, dumbbells, and yoga mats, as staying at home means working out at home too. Puzzles and board games provide entertainment, together with increased demand for Microsoft Xbox, Sony PS4, and Nintendo Switch gaming consoles.
Demand for essentials like toilet paper, hand sanitizers, paper towels, n95 face masks, and thermometers hasn’t decreased since the end of February. However, those searches no longer have any results with Prime shipping or even any items in stock. Despite that, consumers continue to look for those products, showing a wide gap between supply and demand.
Search Keyword | Rank 3/22-3/28 | Rank 3/15-3/21 | Rank 3/8-3/14 | Rank 3/1-3/7 |
---|---|---|---|---|
toilet paper | 1 ━ | 1 ━ | 1 ▲ | 9 ▲ |
hand sanitizer | 2 ━ | 2 ━ | 2 ▼ | 1 ▲ |
paper towels | 3 ━ | 3 ▲ | 8 ▲ | 42 ▲ |
n95 mask | 4 ▲ | 5 ▲ | 7 ▼ | 2 ▼ |
thermometer | 5 ▼ | 4 ▲ | 15 ▲ | 41 ▲ |
clorox wipes | 6 ▲ | 8 ▼ | 3 ▲ | 7 ▲ |
lysol spray | 7 ▲ | 10 ▼ | 6 ▲ | 16 ▲ |
puzzles for adults | 8 ▲ | 13 ▲ | 229 ▲ | 1268 ▼ |
thermometer for adults | 9 ▼ | 7 ▲ | 25 ▲ | 343 ▲ |
disinfectant wipes | 10 ▲ | 11 ▼ | 5 ▲ | 18 ▲ |
lysol | 11 ▲ | 14 ━ | 14 ▲ | 32 ▲ |
nintendo switch | 12 ▲ | 38 ▲ | 72 ▼ | 43 ▼ |
vitamin c | 13 ▲ | 21 ▲ | 26 ▲ | 45 ▲ |
disinfectant spray | 14 ▲ | 29 ▲ | 32 ▲ | 77 ▲ |
toilet paper bulk | 15 ▼ | 6 ▼ | 4 ▲ | 603 ▲ |
face mask | 16 ▲ | 20 ▲ | 28 ▼ | 3 ▲ |
mask | 17 ▲ | 24 ▼ | 23 ▼ | 6 ▲ |
masks for germ protection | 18 ▲ | 19 ▲ | 27 ▼ | 8 ▼ |
hand soap | 19 ▼ | 15 ▼ | 12 ▲ | 53 ▲ |
charmin toilet paper | 20 ▼ | 18 ▲ | 21 ▲ | 361 ▲ |
bread | 21 ▼ | 16 ▲ | 49 ▲ | 262 ▲ |
baby wipes | 22 ▼ | 9 ━ | 9 ▲ | 153 ▼ |
flour | 23 ▲ | 37 ▲ | 183 ▲ | 1970 ▲ |
lysol disinfecting wipes | 24 ▲ | 35 ▼ | 30 ▼ | 25 ▲ |
resistance bands | 25 ▲ | 46 ▲ | 376 ▼ | 315 ▼ |
puzzles | 26 ▲ | 42 ▲ | 568 ▲ | 2325 ▼ |
alcohol | 27 ▼ | 23 ▼ | 17 ▲ | 35 ▲ |
rubbing alcohol | 28 ▼ | 25 ▼ | 16 ▲ | 28 ▲ |
lysol wipes | 29 ▲ | 39 ▼ | 31 ▲ | 38 ▲ |
face mask medical | 30 ▼ | 28 ▲ | 29 ▼ | 17 ▼ |
n95 respirator mask | 31 ▲ | 41 ▲ | 51 ▼ | 22 ▼ |
rice | 32 ▼ | 12 ▲ | 24 ▲ | 72 ▲ |
puzzles for adults 1000 piece | 33 ▲ | 63 ▲ | 1026 ▲ | 4598 ▼ |
milk | 34 ━ | 34 ▲ | 66 ▲ | 226 ▲ |
desk | 35 ▲ | 40 ▲ | 61 ▼ | 44 ▼ |
gloves disposable latex free | 36 ▲ | 60 ▲ | 120 ▲ | 703 ▲ |
clorox | 37 ▲ | 44 ▼ | 43 ▲ | 159 ▲ |
eggs | 38 ▲ | 47 ▲ | 130 ▲ | 601 ▲ |
dumbell set | 39 ▲ | 51 ▲ | 497 ▲ | 837 ▲ |
led strip lights | 40 ▲ | 84 ▼ | 75 ▼ | 39 ▼ |
office chair | 41 ▲ | 53 ▲ | 133 ▼ | 98 ▲ |
yoga mat | 42 ▲ | 78 ▲ | 234 ▼ | 157 ▼ |
scott toilet paper | 43 ▼ | 36 ▼ | 34 ▲ | 876 ▲ |
iphone 11 case | 44 ▲ | 59 ▼ | 36 ▼ | 11 ▼ |
gloves | 45 ▲ | 67 ▲ | 110 ▲ | 168 ▲ |
masks for germ protection n95 | 46 ▲ | 65 ▲ | 71 ▲ | 201 ▼ |
webcam | 47 ▲ | 90 ▲ | 471 ▲ | 1768 ▲ |
wipes | 48 ▼ | 30 ▲ | 39 ▲ | 194 ▲ |
puzzle | 49 ▲ | 55 ▲ | 613 ▲ | 2390 ▲ |
laptop | 50 ▲ | 61 ▲ | 87 ▼ | 47 ▼ |
purell hand sanitizer | 51 ▼ | 26 ▼ | 11 ▼ | 5 ▲ |
bleach | 52 ▼ | 45 ━ | 45 ▲ | 212 ▲ |
clorox disinfecting wipes | 53 ▼ | 52 ▼ | 44 ▲ | 135 ▲ |
aloe vera gel | 54 ▼ | 22 ▼ | 10 ▲ | 13 ▲ |
sanitizer | 55 ▼ | 31 ▼ | 13 ▼ | 12 ▲ |
paint by numbers for adults | 56 ▲ | 97 ▲ | 772 ▲ | 1330 ▼ |
disposable gloves | 57 ▲ | 96 ▲ | 162 ▲ | 240 ▲ |
lysol spray disinfectant | 58 ▲ | 80 ▼ | 58 ▲ | 493 ▲ |
bidet | 59 ▼ | 17 ▲ | 20 ▲ | 259 ▲ |
jigsaw puzzles 1000 pieces for adults | 60 ▲ | 136 ▲ | 1715 ▲ | 5799 ▲ |
isopropyl alcohol | 61 ▼ | 50 ▼ | 38 ▲ | 61 ▲ |
n95 | 62 ▲ | 95 ▼ | 93 ▼ | 30 ▼ |
pasta | 63 ▼ | 27 ▲ | 37 ▲ | 198 ▲ |
1000 piece puzzles | 64 ▲ | 126 ▲ | 1651 ▲ | 6372 ▼ |
tylenol | 65 ▼ | 33 ▲ | 157 ▲ | 718 ▲ |
chicken | 66 ▼ | 58 ▲ | 112 ▲ | 670 ▲ |
board games | 67 ▲ | 70 ▲ | 251 ▲ | 552 ▼ |
sidewalk chalk | 68 ▲ | 221 ▲ | 1176 ▲ | 2059 ▲ |
airpods | 69 ▲ | 74 ▼ | 46 ▼ | 15 ▼ |
masks | 70 ▲ | 81 ▼ | 74 ▼ | 37 ▼ |
face mask n95 | 71 ▲ | 92 ▼ | 82 ▲ | 94 ▼ |
disinfecting wipes | 72 ▲ | 86 ▼ | 47 ▲ | 76 ▲ |
purell | 73 ▼ | 43 ▼ | 19 ▼ | 4 ▲ |
lego | 74 ▲ | 105 ▲ | 164 ▼ | 118 ▼ |
easter candy | 75 ▲ | 213 ▲ | 848 ▲ | 1259 ▲ |
nitrile gloves | 76 ▲ | 127 ▲ | 197 ▲ | 215 ▲ |
latex gloves | 77 ▲ | 108 ▲ | 163 ▼ | 160 ▲ |
alcohol wipes | 78 ▼ | 64 ▼ | 40 ▲ | 69 ▲ |
surgical mask | 79 ▼ | 73 ▼ | 56 ▼ | 20 ▼ |
weights | 80 ▲ | 128 ▲ | 835 ▲ | 1091 ▼ |
yeast for bread | 81 ▲ | 123 ▲ | 925 ▲ | 8983 ▲ |
chromebook | 82 ▲ | 109 ▲ | 282 ▲ | 395 ▼ |
ipad | 83 ▲ | 111 ▲ | 128 ▼ | 52 ▼ |
monitor | 84 ▲ | 91 ▲ | 135 ▲ | 224 ▲ |
desk chair | 85 ▲ | 112 ▲ | 250 ▼ | 243 ▲ |
puzzles for adults 500 piece | 86 ▲ | 181 ▲ | 2598 ▲ | 13820 ▼ |
sanitizing wipes | 87 ▼ | 66 ▼ | 42 ▲ | 80 ▲ |
airpod case | 88 ▲ | 110 ▼ | 53 ▼ | 14 ━ |
ice cream | 89 ▲ | 202 ▲ | 399 ▲ | 980 ▲ |
disinfectant | 90 ▲ | 130 ▼ | 107 ▲ | 679 ▲ |
elastic bands for sewing | 91 ▲ | 468 ▲ | 9410 ▲ | 10379 ▲ |
led lights | 92 ▲ | 170 ▲ | 185 ▼ | 89 ▼ |
coffee | 93 ▼ | 82 ▲ | 131 ▲ | 204 ▼ |
balloons | 94 ▲ | 166 ▼ | 143 ▼ | 57 ━ |
cottonelle toilet paper | 95 ▲ | 104 ▼ | 73 ▲ | 1161 ▲ |
gaming chair | 96 ▲ | 157 ▼ | 147 ▼ | 54 ▲ |
chips | 97 ▲ | 119 ▲ | 200 ▲ | 720 ▲ |
food | 98 ▼ | 48 ▲ | 76 ▲ | 517 ▲ |
angel soft toilet paper | 99 ▼ | 75 ▼ | 67 ▲ | 2332 ▲ |
zinc | 100 ▲ | 121 ▼ | 118 ▲ | 279 ▲ |
An indicator of the supply gap is the Amazon Coronavirus Index. Despite the demand for essentials like face masks and hand sanitizers remaining stable, the index has dropped almost in half over the past two weeks. The lack of in-stock items is the reason for the drop.
Amazon has made changes to its operations to address the rapid demand increase of essential items, while other categories like clothing and shoes shrank. The company has prioritized in-demand items when receiving them at its warehouses, as well as increased delivery items for non-essential items. Yet, it hasn’t so far been able to restore the supply of out-of-stock items itself nor has been able to utilize the marketplace for it.
“Our teams are adjusting, rapidly implementing a dizzying array [of] process and policy changes on a daily, and sometimes hourly basis,” wrote Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations, in a memo to employees. Some of those changes have sparked panic among the millions of sellers on its marketplace. Yet they weren’t foolproof to prevent bad actors from abusing it.