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Usual household amount of toilet paper: sales almost twice as high as before the crisis
Photo:
Daniel Karmann / picture alliance / dpa
In the first corona wave, consumer demand for toilet paper was huge.
There was talk of white gold as a joke.
While the pandemic is picking up speed again, a manufacturer from Düsseldorf recently set up a toilet paper machine on its premises - and, according to the broadcaster WDR, is charging an impressive two euros for a two-pack.
A current analysis by the Federal Statistical Office now shows that it is trendy and that the cash dispute over toilet paper in the supermarket could come to a head again.
In view of increasing corona infections, Germany's consumers are increasingly buying hygiene items and certain foods.
According to the special evaluation, sales of toilet paper in the week from October 12 to 17, 2020 were almost twice as high (plus 89.9 percent) than the average for the pre-crisis months August 2019 to January 2020.
Flour and yeast are also in greater demand
According to the authorities, sales of disinfectants in the week under review were almost three quarters (plus 72.5 percent) and those of soap by almost two thirds (plus 62.3 percent) above the pre-crisis average.
According to the findings of the statisticians, the demand for flour (plus 28.4 percent) and yeast (plus 34.8 percent) also increased significantly again.
Politicians and retailers assure again and again that the supply situation with goods for daily needs is secured and appeal to consumers not to make any hamster purchases.
The retail chains are currently not recording any inventory purchases as they did in spring.
So far, there has only been an isolated increase in demand for certain products.
On the whole, consumers' mood to consume has sunk significantly apart from certain products.
The drastically rising number of corona infections caused demand to collapse in October, said Rolf Bürkl from the Nuremberg-based consumer research company GfK.
"The optimism of German consumers dwindled noticeably in October," said Bürkl about the latest GfK study on consumer confidence.
Fear of lockdown inhibits consumption
Around three quarters of consumers currently assumed that the corona pandemic posed a major or very great threat to them.
"The rapidly increasing numbers of infections lead to tightening of pandemic-related restrictions," said Bürkl.
Fear of another shutdown of public life is increasing if the infection rate gets out of hand.
"That also affects consumer sentiment."
The expectations of the economy have also fallen.
Leading economic experts have since revised their forecasts downwards.
Bürkl: "In addition, some of our most important trading partners such as France, Spain and Great Britain are struggling with even higher numbers of infections."
Around half of all people (51 percent) in Germany are very or very worried about the economic future.
What applies to employees and workers also applies to the self-employed.
Even without closings, the frequency in retail stores will decrease with increasing local restrictions.
"It will be difficult for one or the other shop that is already weakened," said Bürkl.
In return, a further boost to digitization and an even stronger boom in e-commerce can be expected.
The results of the GfK study published monthly are an extract from the "GfK Consumer Climate MAXX" study and are based on around 2000 consumer interviews on behalf of the EU Commission.
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apr / dpa