Companies are beginning to see huge sale increases, and some are even becoming swamped with too many orders as people prep for the COVID-19 coronavirus. Survivalist and camping companies in California are specifically getting hit hard.
Ralph Boyle is the general manager of Katadyn North America Foods in Rocklin, where they sell freeze-dried sausages and pastas that have long shelf lives for campers and survivalists. They also sell to big retailers like REI and Bass Pro Shops.
“Everything is pretty much going out the door as quick as we can put it up,” Boyle said.
And you've probably seen other news reports that say stores like Costco are completely running out of supplies like canned goods and water bottles...
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“If you find yourself sick, you don’t want to be running to the store for, say, more toilet paper or milk,” Rebecca Katz, director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University said. “This is not about panicking. This is about thinking about what you and your family might need.”
And that's exactly what people seem to be doing now. According to market researcher Catalina, hand sanitizer sales in California increased a whopping 738 percent last week. Along with powdered milk, which increased 154 percent in sales.
And in Washington state, powdered milk sales are up 289 percent, with hand sanitizer up an equal 738 percent to California.
"It's also good to have two weeks of supplies on hand in case your family was asked to quarantine," Placer County's health officer Dr. Aimee Sisson said.
Read the full report on The Sacramento Bee.