Markets

The Pandemic Economy: What are Shoppers Buying Online During COVID-19?

Published

10 months ago

April 8, 2020

Katie Jones

Ecommerce category growth during covid-19 pandemic

The Fastest Growing and Declining E-Commerce Categories

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on every aspect of life, including how people shop for their necessities, and their not-so-necessities.

With online retail sales estimated to reach an eye-watering $6.5 trillion by 2023, the ecommerce sector was already booming. But since the outbreak, online shopping has been catapulted into complete overdrive. Even the largest retailers on the planet are struggling to keep up with the unprecedented consumer demand—but what exactly are people buying?

To answer this question, retail intelligence firm Stackline analyzed ecommerce sales across the U.S. and compiled a list of the fastest growing and declining ecommerce categories (March 2020 vs. March 2019) with surprising results.

The Frenzy of Buyer Behavior

As people come to terms with their new living situations, their buying behavior has adapted to suit their needs. While panic buying may have slowed in some countries, consumers continue to stock up on supplies, or “pandemic pantry products”.

Many consumers are also using their newfound time to focus on their health, with 85% of consumers taking up some kind of exercise while in social isolation, and 40% of them saying they intend to keep it up when restrictions are lifted.

These changing behaviors have resulted in a number of product categories experiencing a surge in demand — and although a lot of them are practical, others are wonderfully weird.

The Fastest Growing Categories

While the below list features several shelf-stable items, it seems as though consumers are taking matters into their own hands, with bread making machines sitting in second place and retailers selling out of their top models.

It’s clear from the list that consumers are considering positive changes to their lifestyle while in isolation, as fitness, smoking cessation, and respiratory categories are all experiencing growth.

Explore the 100 fastest growing product categories below:

Rank	Category	% Change in March (2020 vs. 2019)
#1	Disposable Gloves	670%
#2	Bread Machines	652%
#3	Cough & Cold	535%
#4	Soups	397%
#5	Dried Grains & Rice	386%
#6	Packaged Foods	377%
#7	Fruit Cups	326%
#8	Weight Training	307%
#9	Milk & Cream	279%
#10	Dishwashing Supplies	275%
#11	Paper Towels	264%
#12	Hand Soap & Sanitizer	262%
#13	Pasta	249%
#14	Vegetables	238%
#15	Flour	238%
#16	Facial Tissues	235%
#17	Allergy Medicine	232%
#18	Women’s Health	215%
#19	Cereals	214%
#20	Power Generators	210%
#21	Laundry Supplies	200%
#22	Household Cleaners	195%
#23	Soap & Body Wash	194%
#24	Toilet Paper	190%
#25	Jerky & Dried Meats	187%
#26	Chips & Pretzels	186%
#27	Crackers	184%
#28	Health Monitors	182%
#29	Popcorn	179%
#30	Computer Monitors	172%
#31	Fitness Equipment	170%
#32	Single Vitamins	166%
#33	Nut & Seed Butters	163%
#34	Cat Food	162%
#35	Fruit Snacks	162%
#36	Baby Care Products	162%
#37	Refrigerators	160%
#38	Baking Mixes	160%
#39	Toilet Accessories	160%
#40	Dog Food	159%
#41	Diapers	154%
#42	Yoga Equipment	154%
#43	Bottled Beverages	153%
#44	Baby Meals	153%
#45	Cookies	147%
#46	Digestion & Nausea	144%
#47	Snack Foods	141%
#48	Herbal Supplements	136%
#49	Cooking Oils	135%
#50	Water	130%
#51	Incontinence & Tummy	129%
#52	Mutivitamin	126%
#53	Cat Litter	125%
#54	Training Pads and Trays	125%
#55	Juices	125%
#56	Smoking Cessation	122%
#57	Dried Fruit & Raisins	120%
#58	Salt & Pepper Seasoning	118%
#59	Craft Kits & Projects	117%
#60	Batteries	116%
#61	Trash Bags	116%
#62	Nuts & Seeds	116%
#63	Hair Coloring	115%
#64	Sauce & Gravy	115%
#65	Deli Foods	114%
#66	Syrups	114%
#67	Breads & Bakery	114%
#68	Minerals	113%
#69	Condiments	111%
#70	First Aid	108%
#71	Nail Care	108%
#72	Humidifiers	105%
#73	Art Paint	104%
#74	Office Chairs	104%
#75	Deodorant	103%
#76	Jams, Jellies & Spreads	102%
#77	Coffee	101%
#78	Spices & Seasoning	100%
#79	Skin Care	99%
#80	Pain Relievers	99%
#81	Cooking Vinegars	98%
#82	Air Purifiers	97%
#83	Granola & Nutrition Bars	97%
#84	Pudding & Gelatin	97%
#85	Toy Clay & Dough	95%
#86	Single Spices	95%
#87	Bird Food & Treats	91%
#88	Lab & Science Products	90%
#89	Eczema & Psoriasis	90%
#90	Ping Pong	89%
#91	Chocolate	86%
#92	Baking Ingredients	84%
#93	Energy Supplements	84%
#94	Respiratory	82%
#95	Office Desks	82%
#96	Potty Training Supplies	82%
#97	Herbs, Spices & Seasonings	82%
#98	Keyboard & Mice	80%
#99	Body Lotion	79%
#100	Safes	69%

Interestingly, toilet paper has seen more growth than baby care products, and cured meats have seen more growth than water. But while some categories are experiencing a drastic increase in demand, others are slumping in the pandemic economy.

The Fastest Declining Categories

An unprecedented wave of event and vacation cancellations is having a huge impact on the products people consume. For instance, luggage and suitcases, cameras, and men’s swimwear have all seen a dip in sales.

See the full list of 100 fastest declining categories below:

Rank	Category	% Change in March (2020 vs. 2019)
#1	Luggage & Suitcases	-77%
#2	Briefcases	-77%
#3	Cameras	-64%
#4	Men’s Swimwear	-64%
#5	Bridal Clothing	-63%
#6	Men's Formal Wear	-62%
#7	Women’s Swimwear	-59%
#8	Rash Guards	-59%
#9	Boy’s Athletic Shoes	-59%
#10	Gym Bags	-57%
#11	Backpacks	-56%
#12	Snorkelling Equipment	-56%
#13	Girl’s Swimwear	-55%
#14	Baseball Equipment	-55%
#15	Event & Party Supplies	-55%
#16	Motorcycle Protective Gear	-55%
#17	Camera Bags & Cases	-54%
#18	Women’s Suits & Dresses	-53%
#19	Women’s Boots	-51%
#20	Cargo Racks	-51%
#21	Women’s Sandals	-50%
#22	Drones	-50%
#23	Boy's Active Clothing	-50%
#24	Lunch Boxes	-50%
#25	Store Fixtures & Displays	-50%
#26	Automotive Mats	-50%
#27	Men’s Outerwear	-49%
#28	Watches & Accessories	-49%
#29	Cargo Bed Covers	-48%
#30	Track & Field Equipment	-48%
#31	Ceiling Lighting	-47%
#32	Camera Lenses	-47%
#33	Girl’s Coats and Jackets	-47%
#34	Women’s Hats & Caps	-47%
#35	Women's Outerwear	-47%
#36	Video Cameras	-46%
#37	Wheels & Tires	-46%
#38	Motorcycle Parts	-45%
#39	Women’s Wallets	-45%
#40	Shocks & Struts	-44%
#41	Transmission & Parts	-44%
#42	Girl’s Athletic Shoes	-44%
#43	Women’s Shoes	-44%
#44	Telescopes	-44%
#45	Sunglasses & Eyeglasses	-43%
#46	Men’s Tops	-41%
#47	Video Projectors	-40%
#48	Men’s Athletic Shoes	-40%
#49	Marine Electronics	-40%
#50	Hand Tools	-40%
#51	Wine Racks	-40%
#52	Men's Shoes	-40%
#53	Clocks	-39%
#54	Baby Girl’s Shoes	-39%
#55	Bracelets	-39%
#56	Men’s Boots	-39%
#57	Tapestries	-39%
#58	Camping Equipment	-39%
#59	Men’s Bottoms	-38%
#60	Cell Phones	-38%
#61	Tool Storage & Organizers	-38%
#62	Necklaces	-38%
#63	Swimming Equipment	-37%
#64	Men’s Hats & Caps	-37%
#65	Girl’s Shoes	-37%
#66	Industrial Tools	-36%
#67	Juicers	-36%
#68	Desktops	-35%
#69	Classroom Furniture	-35%
#70	Bar & Wine Tools	-35%
#71	Glassware & Drinkware	-35%
#72	Musical Instruments	-34%
#73	Power Winches	-34%
#74	Home Bar Furniture	-34%
#75	Office Storage Supplies	-34%
#76	Girl's Active Clothing	-34%
#77	Women’s Tops	-34%
#78	Braces, Splints & Supports	-34%
#79	Car Anti-theft	-34%
#80	Rings	-34%
#81	Blankets & Quilts	-33%
#82	Women's Athletic Shoes	-33%
#83	Kitchen Sinks	-33%
#84	Golf Clubs	-33%
#85	Equestrian Equipment	-33%
#86	GPS & Navigation	-32%
#87	Recording Supplies	-32%
#88	Home Audio	-32%
#89	Boy's Accessories	-32%
#90	Earrings	-32%
#91	Dining Sets	-31%
#92	Calculators	-31%
#93	Boy's Shoes	-31%
#94	Volleyball Equipment	-31%
#95	Strollers	-31%
#96	Coolers	-30%
#97	Sanders & Grinders	-30%
#98	Men's Activewear	-29%
#99	Living Room Furniture	-29%
#100	Climbing & Hiking Bags	-28%

Regardless of which list a product falls under, it is clear that the pandemic has impacted retailers of every kind in both positive and negative ways.

The New Normal?

Officially the world’s largest retailer, Amazon has announced it can no longer keep up with consumer demand. As a result, it will be delaying the delivery of non-essential items, or in some cases not taking orders for non-essentials at all.

This presents a double-edged sword, as the new dynamic that is bringing some retailers unprecedented demand could also bring about an untimely end for others.

Meanwhile, the question remains: will this drastic change in consumer behavior stabilize once we flatten the curve, or is this our new normal?

Related Topics:amazon walmart ecommerce pandemic covid-19 panic buying retail industry essential services consumer need states

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Energy

The Periodic Table of Commodity Returns (2021 Edition)

Which commodity had the best returns in 2020? From gold to oil, we show how commodity price performance stacks up over the last decade.

Published

2 weeks ago

January 8, 2021

Dorothy Neufeld

The Periodic Table of Commodity Returns (2011-2020)

Being a commodity investor can feel like riding a roller coaster.

Take silver. Typically known for sharp, idiosyncratic price movements, it faced double-digit declines in the first half of the decade, falling over 35% in just 2013 alone. By contrast, it jumped over 47% in 2020. Similarly, oil, corn, and others witnessed either steep declines or rapid gains.

The above graphic from U.S. Global Investors traces 10 years of commodity price performance, highlighting 14 different commodities and their annual ranking over the years.

Commodity Price Performance, From Best to Worst

Which commodities were the top performers in 2020?

The aforementioned silver tripled its returns year-over-year, climbing 47.9% in 2020. In July, the metal actually experienced its strongest month since 1979.

Rank	Commodity	Return (2020)	Return (2019)	Return (2018)
1	Silver	47.9%	15.2%	-8.5%
2	Copper	26.0%	3.4%	-17.5%
3	Palladium	25.9%	54.2%	18.6%
4	Gold	25.1%	18.3%	-1.6%
5	Corn	24.8%	3.4%	6.9%
6	Zinc	19.7%	-9.5%	-24.5%
7	Nickel	18.7%	31.6%	-16.5%
8	Gas	16.0%	-25.5%	-0.4%
9	Wheat	14.6%	11.0%	17.9%
10	Platinum	10.9%	21.5%	-14.5%
11	Aluminum	10.8%	-4.4%	-17.4%
12	Lead	3.3%	-4.7%	-19.2%
13	Coal	-1.3%	-18.0%	-22.2%
14	Oil	-20.5%	34.5%	-24.8%

Along with silver, at least seven other commodities had stronger returns than the S&P 500 in 2020, which closed off the year with 16.3% gains. This included copper (26.0%), palladium (25.9%), gold (25.1%) and corn (24.8%).

Interestingly, copper prices moved in an unconventional pattern compared to gold in 2020. Often, investors rush to gold in uncertain economic climates, while sectors such as construction and manufacturing—which both rely heavily on copper—tend to decline. Instead, both copper and gold saw their prices rise in conjunction.

Nowadays, copper is also a vital material in electric vehicles (EVs), with recent demand for EVs also influencing the price of copper.

Silver Linings

As investors flocked to safety, silver’s price reached heights not seen since 2010.

The massive scale of monetary and fiscal stimulus led to inflationary fears, also boosting the price of silver. How does this compare to its returns over the last decade?

silver returns 2011-2020

In 2013, silver crashed over 35% as confidence grew in global markets. By contrast, in 2016, the Brexit referendum stirred uncertainty in global markets. Investors allocated money in silver, and prices shifted upwards.

As Gold as the Hills

Like silver, market uncertainty has historically boosted the price of gold.

What else contributed to gold’s rise?

U.S. debt continues to climb, pushing down confidence in the U.S. dollar
A weaker U.S. dollar makes gold cheaper for other countries to buy
Low interest rates kept the returns of other safe haven assets low, making gold more attractive by comparison

Here’s how the price of gold has changed in recent years.

gold returns 2011-2020

Gold faced its steepest recent declines in 2013, when the Federal Reserve bank discussed tapering down its quantitative easing program in light of economic recovery.

Hitting the Brakes On Oil

Oil suffered the worst commodity price performance in 2020, with -20.5% returns.

For the first time in history, oil prices went negative as demand plummeted. To limit its oversupply, oil producers shrunk investment, closed wells, and turned off valves. Unfortunately, many companies still faced bankruptcies. By November, 45 oil producers had proceeded with bankruptcy filings year-to-date.

This stood in stark contrast to 2019, when prices soared 34.5%.

oil returns 2011-2020

As is custom for oil, prices see-sawed over the decade. In 2016 and 2019, it witnessed gains of over 30%. However, like 2020, in 2014 it saw huge losses due to an oversupply of global petroleum.

In 2020, total production cuts hit 7.2 million barrels a day in December, equal to 7% of global demand, in response to COVID-19.

Mining

Why Gold Mining Stocks Outperform Gold in Bull Markets

Gold mining stocks outpace gold returns in bull markets, but how? With higher gold prices, miners get ahead thanks to operating leverage.

Published

2 weeks ago

January 7, 2021

Niccolo Conte

Why Gold Mining Stocks Outperform Gold in Bull Markets

Gold is highly revered for its great returns and resilience during economic downturns, but during gold bull markets there’s something that regularly provides even greater returns: the ownership of gold mining stocks.

Over the past 20 years, gold mining stocks have outperformed the price of gold bullion in bull markets, offering what can be seen as a leveraged play on gold’s price appreciation.

While gold miners offer more potential upside, they also have higher volatility and greater downside during dips, making market timing and strong hands all the more important.

This infographic comes to us from Sprott and compares the returns of gold stocks and gold bullion in bull markets. It also explains how gold stocks outperform thanks to profit expansion, and shows why there might be more upside for gold miners to come.

How Operating Leverage Benefits Gold Mining Companies

During the 2000-2011 gold bull market, the price of physical gold rose 550%. While you might think that number is hard to beat, over the same period of time gold mining equities (represented by the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index) returned more than 690%.

In the current gold bull market which started in 2015, gold mining stocks are up more than 182%, more than doubling gold bullion’s 78% returns.

This outperformance in bull markets is largely due to how gold mining companies use their operating leverage to maximize profits, resulting in their share prices appreciating.

Breaking Down Gold Mining Costs and Profits

As a gold mining company mines and produces gold, the gold is sold on the market fairly quickly to avoid the risk of gold’s price depreciating.

When the price of gold rises, miners immediately start to see greater profits from selling their ounces on the market. While the costs to mine gold also rise in bull markets, they rise less and at a slower rate.

The result of this is profit expansion: when operationally efficient gold mining companies are able to capture larger profits, resulting in increased operating and free cash flow.

Breakdown of Barrick Gold’s Profit per Ounce of Gold

Year	All-in Sustaining Costs/oz (in USD)	Realized Gold Price/oz (in USD)	Profit/oz (in USD)
2015	$831	$1,157	$326
2016	$730	$1,248	$518
2017	$750	$1,258	$508
2018	$806	$1,267	$461
2019	$894	$1,396	$502
2020	$984	$1,748	$764

During the current gold bull run which started in 2015, Barrick Gold’s average realized price per troy ounce of gold increased by 50%, while their all-in sustaining costs per troy ounce only went up by 18%.

This has resulted in the company increasing their profit per ounce of gold sold by a staggering 134% over the past six years.

Making the Most of Golden Times

While higher profit margins during bull markets are great, it’s up to the individual company to ensure the extra cash is being used prudently to efficiently support their operations.

Bull markets don’t last forever, and gold miners must use these prosperous times to strengthen their balance sheets, reward shareholders, and reinvest into projects which will provide future value and returns.

Dividend-paying gold stocks increase dividends to reward loyal shareholders, with the average dividend increase of top gold mining stocks in a bull market often doubling.

Over the decades, companies have gotten better at making the most of bull markets in order to be well-guarded for when gold prices stop appreciating, and eventually start declining.

Why Gold Mining Stocks May Still Be Undervalued

Even if gold mining stocks have already seen impressive returns over the past five years, there are some technical indicators which point to them still being undervalued compared to other equities and gold bullion.

The top 10 gold mining companies have seen their earnings per share estimates almost triple in the past two years.
The top 20 S&P 500 companies have seen around a -15% decline in their earnings per share estimates.

Along with having better earnings per share compared to the top U.S. equities, gold mining stocks may also be undervalued compared to gold bullion.

The gold mining stocks to gold bullion ratio is at historically low levels after having dropped more than 60% following the 2008 financial crisis. While gold bullion is increasingly seen as a safe haven asset for investors, gold miners are still overlooked despite their strong technicals.

Gold and Gold Miners’ Role in the Future Economy

As money printing has been the Federal Reserve’s main answer to an increasingly volatile economic climate, gold and its producers are set to play a crucial role in helping investors preserve their wealth.

Gold has yet again outperformed just about every other asset class in 2020, and gold miners offer even greater returns for those willing to manage the additional risk they present.

Gold mining stocks are much more volatile compared to gold bullion, and have a variety of additional risks dependent on their company structure, jurisdiction of operations, and operational efficiency. But for investors who are looking for exceptional returns in gold bull markets, they can be an alluring option.