Seattleites are increasingly turning to vodka to help them cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
Sales of vodka have spiked 50% since Gov. Jay Inslee ordered a shutdown of all bars and restaurants in the state March 16. Domestic beer sales have skyrocketed 48% and tequila purchases are up 42%
Mobile shopping app Ibotta also found that – not surprisingly – weekly toilet paper purchases doubled between mid-February and mid-March as shoppers “panic buy” as the coronavirus increasingly takes hold.
Washington state has more than 2,200 confirmed cases of coronavirus, or about 7% of all those who’ve been tested. At least 110 people have died. Inslee yesterday announced a mandatory statewide stay-at-home order, effective for a minimum of two weeks.
Ibotta also found that people are making fewer trips to the grocery store but spending has nearly doubled, from an average of $25 in mid-February to nearly $50 by mid-March. Online shopping is up 52% compared to the same time frame a year ago, and the number of online shoppers has increased 8.6% since coronavirus began.
