Despite large areas of economic suffering during the Coronavirus lockdown, there are some industries that are booming as we adjust to this temporary ‘normal’.
Here are six industries where sales are high, and we’ve put together some suggestions of Beehive-funded small businesses in the UAE that you can support, rather than defaulting to larger retailers.
Coffee
Home coffee machines will be getting good use right now, so there’ll be increased demand on retail coffee pods. Globally, coffee supply retailers are having to take on more staff because deliveries have changed from one office, to multiple home locations.
Support local SMEs and get your coffee pods from Coffee Planet, who have launched their own stay at home bundle to fuel your day.
Sports Equipment
While our movements are limited to the proximity of our homes, more people are purchasing indoor gym equipment for a home workout. Particular favourites are the yoga mat, dumbbells and turbo trainers, or indoor bikes.
Dubai-based SME Grit + Tonic supplies a whole range of equipment to help you keep fit on lockdown. Check out their ‘dig deep deals’ for a bargain.
For those who need to stay stylish for those home-workout Insta-vids, local e-commerce store Squat Wolf is your one-stop-shop for activewear fashion.
Online groceries
Whilst we can still pop out for essential groceries, online shopping is preferred and much safer when preventing the spread of the Coronavirus. Grocery stores with an online presence are working flat out to get food and home supplies to customers, and some are seeing delays in delivery times because of the demand.
If you’re looking for Asian groceries, you can support local ecommerce marketplace 1004 Gourmet. They’re delivering the best items from Asia to your home, as well as current necessities, such as hand sanitizer and face masks.
Whilst trips to the supermarket are limited, it’s a good idea to buy long life milk so you can stock up without worrying that it will go bad. Koita Milk deliver a wide variety of long-life milks for free across the UAE, including cream, lactose-free and plant-based alternatives.
For extra positivity, Pure Born are running a giveaway every two days, where a family can win baby essentials. Check out their Instagram page to enter.
Soap
The simplest way to stop the spread of the Coronavirus is to wash your hands, so it’s never been so important to keep stocked up on good quality soap.
To help everyone stay safe, Beehive-funded SME The Camel Soap Factory are offering 2 for the price of 1 on all their soaps. These are not only antiviral and antibacterial, they’re also moisturising and kind to your skin.
Food delivery
If you’re not using the time you’ve gained from the commute to bake banana bread or make home cooked meals, then you’ll probably be relying on meal delivery. Huge changes have been made to the way food is delivered so the delivery person and recipient don’t get within two meters of each other.
Beehive-funded café Roseleaf is delivering home cooked meals straight to your door with free delivery in Dubai.
Healthy foods
Companies are seeing a rise in customers purchasing healthy food to get the immune-strengthening vitamins needed to fight a virus. Manuka honey is one product in particular that has reported a spike in sales.
To get your fill of good quality fruit and veg whilst supporting local, try Fruitful Day. They’ve put together an immunity box and will deliver it to your door, so you don’t have to leave the house.
