Coronavirus is a boon to… survival kit sales

Many businesses are struggling with plunging demand. One industry isn’t: disaster preparedness.

Photo credit: Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Coronavirus is a boon to… survival kit sales

By Mia Sullivan

While many businesses are struggling to hit revenue targets as the nation comes to grips with the coronavirus, one industry is booming: disaster preparedness.

But as Wired reports, the prepping industry was not prepared for a disaster of this scale.

There’s a survivalist brand for every style

But many of them are sold out of the products you might want.

  • For folks who love a good conspiracy theory, there’s Doomsday Prep. You can still order the Camo Bug Out Bag, which includes a 72-hour supply of food and water, along with a first-aid kit and sanitation supplies. The “Wise 2 Week Survival Kit,” along with several other popular items, are out of stock.
  • For outdoors lovers, there’s Uncharted Supply Co. Their bags sell for $350 – $500 and are equipped with survival supplies for 72 hours, including a tent, blanket, emergency food rations, and filtration masks. Founder Christian Schauf told Wired that the company is getting “Black Friday levels of traffic” almost every day.
  • For people who want cuter survival fare, there’s Judy and Preppi.

You’ve probably noticed there’s been a run on hygiene supplies…

… including hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and face masks. According to Neilsen, during February medical mask sales rose more than 319% in dollar growth and hand sanitizer sales jumped by 73%. 

The survival kits don’t solve for a lengthy virus-related quarantine. But maybe the entrepreneurs in the house will bring us coronavirus isolation kits soon, replete with a 14-day supply of antibacterial everything, masks, medicine, and canned goods.

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