The information below, reported by Nielsen, reflects total U.S. in-store measurement, except the total CPG online sales, online department and category break-outs. Unless otherwise noted (where price changes are included), every percentage reflects year-over-year shifts in dollar sales.
More details at Nielsen.com microsite: “How Americans Are Shopping During COVID-19”
Some key takeaways:
- At an overall U.S. in-store CPG level, year-over-year sales growth (+19.1% for the latest one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. the same week in 2019) maintained a similar pace to that of the previous week.
- The gap between total U.S. in-store and online CPG growth that narrowed the previous week also sustained a similar differential, with online CPG growth at +27.2% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year.
 
 - Seafood takes over the No. 1 spot from meat (now No. 2) for the top growing in-store department, as meat encounters continued supply chain hurdles and price hikes; this shift is also possibly driven by seafood’s correlation with summer and warmer weather. Frozen retains the No. 3 spot.
- The success of seafood manifested particularly through lobster, which cracked the top 5 growing in-store categories overall, at +122.4%.
 
 - Hand sanitizer again had the highest in-store year-over-year category growth, by far (+553.2%). Then there was a big jump to, yet again, oat milk (+281.7%) and fresh meat alternatives (+219.3%).
 - Price escalation continued at a similar year-over-year pace for in-store total CPG (+6.1%) and specifically fresh meat (+12.3%), fresh meat alternatives (+25.2%) and eggs (+26.1%).
 - Traditional brands experienced year-over-year in-store growth (+19.3%) that surpassed that of private label products (+18.5%).
 - Within online CPG, there is continued high growth in food (+57%), while pet care (+25.5%) had close to a 20% jump from the previous week’s year-over-year growth. Summer-correlated purchases are heating up.
 
Online Breakouts
Source: Nielsen e-commerce measurement powered by Rakuten Intelligence, for one- and 10-week periods ending May 9, 2020, compared to the same time period in 2019.
Total U.S. CPG online sales: (comparing one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year): +27.2%
- 10-week period ending 5/9/20: +60%
 
Online department breakdown (comparing one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year)
- Food: +57%
 - Household care: +25.1%
 - Baby care: +21.8%
 - Pet care: +25.5%
 - Health and beauty care: +4.4%
 
Online categories of note (comparing one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year)
- Potato chips: +63.4%
 - Rolls and buns: +77.4%
 - Sunscreen: +16.4%
 - Pet flea & tick product: +46.6%
 
In-Store Breakouts
Nielsen Total U.S. xAOC, for the one- and 10-week periods ending May 9, 2020 and May 2, 2020, compared to the same time periods in 2019
Total U.S. CPG in-store sales: +19.1% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- 10-week period ending 5/9/20: +24.3%
 
Pricing (across total in-store CPG)
- For the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. the same week previous year, average unit price for total in-store CPG is +6.1%.
 
Branded vs. Private Label (across total in-store CPG)
- Branded
- One-week period ending 5/9/20: +19.3%
 - 10-week period ending 5/9/20: +23.7%
 
 - Private label
- One-week period ending 5/9/20: +18.5%
 - 10-week period ending 5/9/20: +27.1%
 
 
Top 5 growing categories of the week
- Hand sanitizer: +553.2% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +298.3%
 - Was +377.5% dollar growth for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Oat milk: +281.7% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +333.3%
 - Was +271.9% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Fresh meat alternatives: +219.3% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +258.8%
 - Was +227.5% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Baking yeast: +164% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +226.1%
 - Was +128.1% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Lobsters: +122.4% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +47.3%
 - Was +117.6% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 
Department breakdown
- Seafood: +46.2% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +18.9%
 - Was +47.3% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Meat: +40.8% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +43.1%
 - Was +49.6% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Frozen: +34.2% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +41.1%
 - Was +37.7% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Dairy: +25.1% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +29.5%
 - Was +27.6% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Grocery: +19.7% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +29.1%
 - Was +20.6% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Produce: +19.4% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +19.1%
 - Was +21% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Household care: +18.5% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +40.1%
 - Was +18.4% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Pet care: +1.3% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +7%
 - Was -0.8% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Health and beauty care: +0.9% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +9%
 - Was -2.8% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Deli: -0.9% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +1.9%
 - Was -2% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Bakery: -6.7% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): -5.2%
 - Was -5.9% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Baby care: -7.4% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +3.7%
 - Was -15.4% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 
Early Load-ups/Basics
- Bath tissue (toilet paper): +14.8% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +65%
 - Was +16.2% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Paper towels: +27.5% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +57%
 - Was +27.9% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Multi-purpose cleaners: +43.3% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +101.6%
 - Was +46% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Aerosol disinfectants: +75.3% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +217.5%
 - Was +77.9% dollar growth for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Dried beans: +55% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +131.1%
 - Was +62.7% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Pasta: +34.6% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +72.8%
 - Was +41.1% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Rice: +22% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +78.1%
 - Was +31.8% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Salty snacks: +16.8% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year (was +17.2% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20)
 - Ice cream: +28.7% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +30.2%
 - Was +37.2% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 
Meat, Dairy and Alternatives
- Fresh meat: +45.8% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +45.4%
 - Was +54.3% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Average unit price: +12.3% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Was +11.8% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 
 - Fresh beef: +53.6% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +48.6%
 - Was +60.4% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 same week previous year
 - Average unit price: +11.9% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Was +10.9% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Fresh chicken: +32.7% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +38.8%
 - Was +39.6% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 same week previous year
 - Average unit price: +7.5% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Was +10.5% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Fresh pork: +38.8% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +45.3%
 - Was +63.1% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 same week previous year
 - Average unit price: +10.1% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Was +8.8% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Fresh meat alternatives: +219.3% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +258.8%
 - Was +227.5% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Average unit price: +25.2% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Was +26.3% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Fully cooked meat: +12.1% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +18.8%
 - Was +10.3% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Average unit price: +5.1% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Was +4.5% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Fully cooked meat alternatives: +46% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +56%
 - Was +45.1% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Average unit price: +7% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Was +6.9% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Processed meat: +40.3% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +49%
 - Was +51% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Average unit price: +11.6% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Was +12.1% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Bacon: +44.4% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +48.8%
 - Was +60% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Average unit price: +3.3% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Was +3.4% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Chicken eggs: +44.5% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +48%
 - Was +52.1% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Average unit price: +26.1% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Was +26.9% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Cow’s milk: +13.6% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +21%
 - Was +15% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Average unit price: +8.4% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Was +10.9% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Cheese: +32.7% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +37%
 - Was +36.1% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Average unit price: +8.4% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 - Was +8.7% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 
Seafood (across the store/departments)
Average unit price: +13.8% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Crab: +112.3% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +56.5%
 - Was +127.2% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Crawfish + crayfish: +70.3% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +6%
 - Was +97.4% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Shrimp: +61.5% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +36.8%
 - Was +55.6% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Oysters: +38.4% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +30.5%
 - Was +% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 
Others to Watch
- Summer/Memorial Day preparation
- Fresh chicken wings: +53.3% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +62.8%
 - Was +65.3% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Potato chips: +18.1% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +23.6%
 - Was +21% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Fully cooked beef patties: +71.9% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +52%
 - Was +48.4% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Frankfurters (hot dogs): +29.6% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +46.7%
 - Was +33.6% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Hot dog buns: +27.3% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +37.7%
 - Was +32.8% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - American cheese: +21.1% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +47.3%
 - Was +12% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Marshmallows: +89.1% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +66.4%
 - Was +102.4% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Sunscreen: -5.7% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): -42.1%
 - Was -27.5% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Insect repellent: +28% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +13.5%
 - Was +17.7% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Frozen pizza: +30.6% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +57.1%
 - Was +35.4% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Frozen french fries: +55.6% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +61.8%
 - Was +60.8% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Baking products/supplies
- Flour: +91% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +112.5%
 - Was +105.2% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Baking powder: +130.2% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +135.7%
 - Was +168.9% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Fruits and vegetables
- Potatoes: +40.8% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +51.8%
 - Was +48% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Lemons: +41.1% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +34.6%
 - Was +41.7% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Tonic water (No. 1 nonalcoholic beverage in year-over-year growth): +59.8% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +66.9%
 - Was +63.2% for the one-week period ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Hair coloring: +34.6% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +24.6%
 - Was +39.1% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Nail polish remover: +41.9% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
- Latest 10-weeks (ending 5/9/20): +57.2%
 - Was +40.7% for the week ending 5/2/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 
 - Potatoes: +40.8% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Flour: +91% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 
 - Fresh chicken wings: +53.3% for the one-week period ending 5/9/20 vs. same week previous year
 
