Demand for emergency supplies soars

The Russian war against Ukraine has led to a surge in interest in emergency supplies, which are also available in DIY stores. This has been observed in online trade as well as confirmed by DIY store operators.

Some figures are available from e-commerce. For example, among German internet users, the demand for emergency generators increased by 186 per cent on Thursday, 24 February 2022, compared to the previous day, as determined by the price comparison platform idealo.de. Electric heaters are more than twice as much in demand as before the Russian invasion of Ukraine – in the meantime, demand for generators and camping cookers has even reached three times the pre-crisis level.

Idealo observed an even more significant increase in demand for systems for chemical or mechanical water treatment as well as for petrol cans. Since the beginning of the invasion, buying interest has risen by 660 per cent (water treatment) and 1 239 per cent (petrol cans).