Online Shopping in Quarantine
Johanna Wojewodzki ‘21 Arts and Entertainment Editor
When COVID-19 quarantine restrictions were put in place by the state government in Maryland, shops were required to close, leading Howard’s students to online shopping. Grocery stores went online with the pandemic, as did many doctors and pharmacies. Many major retailers have long made use of the Internet as a way to connect with consumers who would otherwise not be going out to shop. In addition to major retailers, one-person businesses on Etsy and eBay have been run successfully online.
Since the start of nation-wide shutdowns and quarantine, eCommerce jumped 30% in quantity of sales made in just one month, according to Rakuten Intelligence research. Many subscription-style boxes that existed Pre-COVID have shifted to become care-boxes for families with concerns related to leaving the house during quarantine. Companies with subscription boxes, like FabFitFun, shifted from workout and makeup related boxes to boxes specifically for healthcare workers. BirchBox, a makeup and beauty based subscription box, began to ship boxes to healthcare workers and essential workers. Shifts in interests in online shopping have occurred, from clothing to entertainment and necessities like groceries, medical products, baby products and cleaning products, according to independent journals.
Meal kits and food-related subscription boxes have also boosted in popularity as the COVID-19 outbreak has progressed in the United States. As people began avoiding brick-and-mortar stores, HelloFresh and Blue Apron, two meal kit subscriptions, announced their individual plans for continuing to ship out quality meals. HelloFresh reported rigid sanitation plans for the company and delivery partners and Blue Apron announced that they would be following strict safety guidelines and enhancement of sanitation standards.
Anna Mueller, a sophomore at Howard, shared that in the past, she had tried the Allure Beauty Box, claiming, “I have tried Birch Box in the past, however, the Allure box is much better. You get full-sized products and they are usually name brand. It is much more worth the money.” Mueller did express, however, that in her time online, she has done more browsing than serious shopping.
Senior Emily Jackson shared her experience with online shopping as a member of an at-risk family. She explained that, “we have been doing all of our shopping, for almost everything, online.” She is not alone; other members of the Howard community shared that they have shopped for necessities online, including their groceries, clothing and meals. Emily expressed that she has had negative experiences with online shopping, mentioning, “I’ve had many clothing items not fit, and by the time I return the item, it’s sold out and I can’t order a replacement size,” an experience that Mueller also shared, and “with online grocery shopping, sometimes if a product is out of stock at the store, or our shopper can’t find it, we get an item delivered that we don’t want.” Despite negative aspects of shopping without being able to try on or pick out items, Jackson expressed that her family does not look at in-person shopping as a possibility until a COVID-19 vaccine is developed.
As Coronavirus conditions adapt and change in Maryland and the United States, questions arise about online shopping and its popularity compared to in-person shopping. Many companies gained popularity because of their fully-online concept, but as in-person shopping becomes available again, will those small online companies fall apart or continue to thrive?
Since the start of nation-wide shutdowns and quarantine, eCommerce jumped 30% in quantity of sales made in just one month, according to Rakuten Intelligence research. Many subscription-style boxes that existed Pre-COVID have shifted to become care-boxes for families with concerns related to leaving the house during quarantine. Companies with subscription boxes, like FabFitFun, shifted from workout and makeup related boxes to boxes specifically for healthcare workers. BirchBox, a makeup and beauty based subscription box, began to ship boxes to healthcare workers and essential workers. Shifts in interests in online shopping have occurred, from clothing to entertainment and necessities like groceries, medical products, baby products and cleaning products, according to independent journals.
Meal kits and food-related subscription boxes have also boosted in popularity as the COVID-19 outbreak has progressed in the United States. As people began avoiding brick-and-mortar stores, HelloFresh and Blue Apron, two meal kit subscriptions, announced their individual plans for continuing to ship out quality meals. HelloFresh reported rigid sanitation plans for the company and delivery partners and Blue Apron announced that they would be following strict safety guidelines and enhancement of sanitation standards.
Anna Mueller, a sophomore at Howard, shared that in the past, she had tried the Allure Beauty Box, claiming, “I have tried Birch Box in the past, however, the Allure box is much better. You get full-sized products and they are usually name brand. It is much more worth the money.” Mueller did express, however, that in her time online, she has done more browsing than serious shopping.
Senior Emily Jackson shared her experience with online shopping as a member of an at-risk family. She explained that, “we have been doing all of our shopping, for almost everything, online.” She is not alone; other members of the Howard community shared that they have shopped for necessities online, including their groceries, clothing and meals. Emily expressed that she has had negative experiences with online shopping, mentioning, “I’ve had many clothing items not fit, and by the time I return the item, it’s sold out and I can’t order a replacement size,” an experience that Mueller also shared, and “with online grocery shopping, sometimes if a product is out of stock at the store, or our shopper can’t find it, we get an item delivered that we don’t want.” Despite negative aspects of shopping without being able to try on or pick out items, Jackson expressed that her family does not look at in-person shopping as a possibility until a COVID-19 vaccine is developed.
As Coronavirus conditions adapt and change in Maryland and the United States, questions arise about online shopping and its popularity compared to in-person shopping. Many companies gained popularity because of their fully-online concept, but as in-person shopping becomes available again, will those small online companies fall apart or continue to thrive?
