How the Pandemic Forced Me to Try Different Brands

Do you remember some of the first days of COVID lockdown for your area? I do, especially since I already needed to grocery shop!

I remember going to 4 different stores before finding toilet paper. At the sixth store I found paper towels. I was over the moon when I was able to find hand soap some time later.

All products were from brands I had never used before, and seriously, I did not care. It was almost like I needed to reprogram myself because all of the criteria I used to shop for everyday needs went out the door.

No more looking at prices, brands, benefits, or ingredients. If the store had what I needed, I bought it on the spot. The next day, I stopped in early at my local store that has the ‘circle around the dot’ logo. (a store I did not normally shop for everyday items, but all options were on the table!)

I could not believe my luck; this store actually had hand soap! This store was one of the first in the area that did not put all their stock out as it was depleted. And, it was one of the first to limit the amount customers could purchase. This did not mean they had hand soap that was familiar or what we liked, but it was a product I needed from a brand I would not have bought otherwise.

The brand label is rather generic-looking and has lots of verbiage (why? I was not sure). It’s just hand soap. It says it contains olive oil, which I found curious too. I reluctantly bought the maximum amount I was allowed to buy and left the store feeling somewhat swindled.

Imagine my surprise when I ended up liking the hand soap, and my whole family liked it too. Now when I buy items online through the store that has the ‘circle around the dot logo’, I always search for a new scent in this brand of hand soap. And when I go to the local hardware store or even my favorite specialty grocery store, I now look to see what new hand soap scents or brands there are to discover 

How did the pandemic change the brands that you buy now?  Please SHARE YOUR PANDEMIC BRAND-SWITCHING STORY OR THOUGHTS WITH US ON LINKEDIN!