by Hui Zhang and Tracy Yang

According to JD’s data, from February 1^st till now, sales of kitchenware, kitchen baking products, and home fitness products have grown significantly due to delays in returning to work.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, almost all people in China have been forced to stay inside. Providing a unique opportunity to “tweak” their lifestyle choices, many people have chosen to learn how to cook and have taken up fitness programs to kill time in a healthy way.

People chose to address cabin fever by “practicing their cooking skills” at home after all the outdoor activities that accompany Chinese New Year – such as door-to-door visits, eating out and seeing movies – were suspended. JD’s big data shows that the sales of multi-purpose knives, woks, pots, and baking tools have all increased significantly. Among them, baking tools took the lead with sales increasing 332% compared with the same period last year. During the same time period, sales of food containers, chopping blocks, and coffee pots increased 332%, 139%, and 134%, respectively compared with the same period last year. As more and more people are returning to work, many people are deciding to bring their own meals to work to avoid cross-infection. Thus, orders of lunch containers have increased by 340% year-on-year.

People who have to stay at home are also purchasing more small household appliances online to enhance their personal skills. Sales of electronic hot pots have increased by 140% year-on-year. Sales of hair clippers are 4.5 times that of the same period last year, making hair clippers an indispensable household item at home.

Working out at home also turns out to be a good choice for many people, with pullers, rowing machines and yoga mats all becoming best-sellers on JD.com. Sales of pullers have increased by 237.96% and of rowing machines by 141.18% compared with the same period last year. Sales of yoga mats on JD’s first-party stores have increased by 141.95% year-on-year.

(zhanghui36@jd.com; tracy.yang@jd.com)