Despite COVID-19 Waging On, We’re Starting to Buy These Six Things Again

For every roll of toilet paper, box of wipes, or can of disinfecting spray that we've been buying in record amounts during the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been a number of things that we've stopped purchasing because they didn't fit in with our new, more restrictive quarantine lifestyles.

But now, with more and more Americans getting vaccinated and the prospect of coronavirus restrictions being relaxed or even eliminated in a number of places around the country, cash registers are starting to ring again.

The latest U.S. Commerce Department numbers from March show an increase of nearly ten percent in retail sales, with things like sporting goods (up 23.5%) and clothing (up 18.3%) leading the way.

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A deeper dive into the numbers shows big jumps in the sales of certain items that had been suffering the most during the height of the pandemic. CNBC has highlighted six of them:

• SKIRTS, JUMPSUITS, DRESSES

With more people returning to work and venturing out socially, the need for something more than sweatpants is the highest it's been in a long time. The average monthly sold-out rate for skirts nationall\y was 21 percent this March. That's ten percent more than a year ago.

• JEANS

Not only is this being driven by more people leaving the house, but also by a change in styles.

Levi’s CEO Chip Bergh told CNBC that more people are opting for comfort which means skinny jeans are out and loose-fitting denim is in.

• CHAMPAGNE

For the first time in a long time, there appear to be reasons to celebrate as friends and family are finally getting together again.

According to NielsenIQ, sales of bubbly are up 103 percent.

• SHOES

With fewer people venturing out to work or play, the need for a good pair of shoes was virtually non-existent.

It got so bad that a whole host of foot issues, like plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, and even ingrown toenails were at records levels.

Now, sales of shoes, which were down 17 percent over the past year, are now rebounding with the percentage of heels sold out across retailers’ websites up 14 percent.

• SHAVING KITS

Another byproduct of a return to the office, sellout rates are up three percent, which is outpacing things like kitchen appliances and patio furniture.

• SWIMSUITS

It's been a while since most of us hit the beach or the pool, but it looks like that's about to change.

One online brand, Summersalt, has seen sales jump more than 850 percent.

Back at the beginning of the pandemic here's what we were cutting back on: