Covid-19 coronavirus: Bread makers among most popular sought after items during lockdown

Bread makers, kitchen mixers and hand mixers have all increased in search popularity. Photo / 123RF

Many bakeries are not open during the lockdown but Kiwis are showing there is no knead to worry.

People have been taking matters into their own hands, with bread makers now among the most popular shopping items in New Zealand.

Popularity for bread makers on PriceSpy was at an all-time high, increasing 1184 per cent year-on-year between March 1 and April 13, 2020.

Meanwhile, the Panasonic SD-2501 bread maker was the third most popular product on the website out of 108,000 other products.

It was even more popular than Apple AirPods Pro, the Nintendo Switch and the newest Samsung phone, the Samsung Galaxy S20.

PriceSpy would not expect bread makers to rank so highly in non-lockdown circumstances, New Zealand country manager Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett said.

"Shopping habits, however, appear to be changing with everyone staying at home on a national level 4 lockdown," Matinvesi-Bassett said.

"The lockdown certainly seems to be getting more people baking at home.

"Whether this trend will continue in the future remains unknown but it's pretty clear from our data and on social media that many are getting creative in the kitchen, baking bread, hot cross buns and other delicious treats."

Kitchen mixers had also increased in popularity, up 56 per cent year-on-year between March 1 and April 13, 2020.

And even hand mixers were feeling the love, with an increase of 197 per cent popularity over the same time period.

It was revealed earlier this month flour mills were working around the clock to get the product on to supermarket shelves amid huge demand.

And while the supply of flour is plentiful, it's getting it to consumers that's proving tricky.

New Zealand Flour Mills Association executive director Niki Urwin told the Herald the country won't run out of flour.

However, he admitted each of the respective mills around New Zealand was having some teething issues getting it to people.

Whether that was the shortage of trucking companies available to transport it, or the packaging of it into smaller 1.5kg quantities.

"There is flour and it is getting distributed, so don't panic. We're trying to re-jiggle our flour distribution lines to make sure it gets there," Urwin said.

"But in terms of raw product, the raw product is there, there's no concerns there and hopefully that will alleviate the public's concern."

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