Tophatter Identifies New Consumer Trends During COVID-19 Crisis, Sales Of Nightgowns And Robes Grow 296.32%, Bar Accessories Grow 138.66%

SAN FRANCISCO, May 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tophatter Inc., a leading discovery shopping marketplace, today announced emerging consumer demand trends revealed by analysis of its shopper behavior during March and April 2020. Tophatter, a shopping destination to over 30 million people, analyzed search and transaction behavior in the 30 days before and after the first set of COVID-19 isolation orders in the United States. Notably, searches for health and wellness related items like gloves, masks, and hand sanitizer rose 1412.78% during that period, while searches for toilet paper increased 4627.14%.

Consumers traditionally come to Tophatter to discover new products, rather than purchase household essentials. But user behavior quickly changed as isolation orders rolled out. Tophatter quickly recognized these trends and empowered its international network of sellers to list the items customers were looking for.

"Tophatter is committed to serving our two sets of customers during this incredibly difficult time. We are working tirelessly to provide a positive shopping experience for our users and to help maintain the livelihoods of our global network of sellers," said COO, Sree Menon. "We're serving our shoppers by supplying hard to find essentials, in addition to our usual assortment of fun and exciting items, at a good value. We're supporting our network of sellers and onboarding new suppliers to sustain and even grow their businesses at this critical economic juncture."

As hair and nail salons closed, purchases of hair clippers and trimmers went up 716.43%, hair coloring supplies were up 105.9%, hair extensions gained 30.82%, and styling tools increased 11.74.%. Women's electric shavers and electric manicure tools grew 334.71% and 139.10%, respectively. Other categories that saw notable growth were toys, gaming tech, craft supplies, collectibles, and items related to cooking and food storage. All changes indicate that consumers are preparing to cook and entertain themselves at home. Even searches for adult toys increased by 29.12%.

Categories with reduced demand include jewelry like watches and rings. Especially hard hit were wedding and engagement rings—sales of diamond and CZ rings fell 50.54% and wedding bands were down 51.01%. Cosmetic sales were also softer, with anti-aging skincare dropping 23.57% and concealer and eyeliner selling 92.78% and 30.88% fewer items.

Tophatter is continuing to grow its supplier network to meet changing consumer demands and empower small seller businesses. Through May 20, new sellers have the opportunity to sell with no commission fee. "This is a great opportunity for online sellers, DTC brands, liquidators, and even physical retailers to add stability to their businesses and reach new shoppers," Menon said. "When Tophatter connects a buyer with the seller who has the items they want and need, everyone benefits."

Other trends identified include:

• Of the top 20 most searched for items on Tophatter from March to April, 30% were COVID-19 related, like masks, hand sanitizer, thermometers, and toilet paper.
• Big growth in toys, particularly video games—remote control cars by 383.27%, diecast toy cars by 37.75%, stuffed animals by 30.16%. Video game controllers and attachments were up 487.97%, and handheld consoles saw a 266.98% jump.
• Demand for hobbies and crafts expanded—jewelry making kits by 227.60%, art pencils and charcoal by 21.95%, and other miscellaneous arts and crafts items by 159.79%.
• Lunch storage container sales surged 821.98%, kitchen storage items were boosted by 285.09%, mugs rose 103.60%, and bar accessories were 138.66% more popular.
• Casual apparel also saw growth. Sports bra sales gained 380.17%, women's nightgowns and robes grew 296.32%, and leggings sales went up 106.25%.

Tophatter leveraged its global supply networks to source much needed respirator and surgical masks. The company donated 8000 respirator masks to UCSF hospitals in the Bay Area and 70,000 surgical masks that were divided between hospitals, medical centers, and nursing homes in need, all around the country.

"It's not often that a startup has the opportunity to quickly and materially serve the community the way Tophatter has been able to during the COVID-19 crisis," said Ashvin Kumar, co-founder and CEO of Tophatter. "We used our global supply network to source and donate respirator and surgical masks to hospitals, medical centers, and nursing homes around the country: from the Bay Area to Arkansas to New Jersey to the Navajo Nation. In these difficult times, I am also proud Tophatter continues to be a bright spot in our users' lives. Tophatter is a place where people can safely buy essentials, but just as close to my heart, it's a place where people can relax, have a little fun, and feel normal, even connected with each other, for a few minutes of their day."

About Tophatter
Tophatter Inc., a leading discovery marketplace, is based in San Francisco with offices in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Portland, and Bangalore. The company was founded in December 2011 by Ashvin Kumar and Chris Estreich. To date, Tophatter has raised $35M from Goodwater Capital, CRV, and August Capital. For more information about Tophatter Inc, please visit: http://www.tophatter.com/about.

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SOURCE Tophatter Inc.

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