Freezers have emerged as one of the most sought-after – and limited – commodities in the country as Americans stockpile food to get through the coronavirus lockdown. The unsettling truth is that big merchants like Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Best Buy are either sold out of or have lengthy backorders for freezer chests and deep freezers.
According to OfferUp’s CEO and co-founder Nick Huzar, prices for items like toys, athletic goods, and home and garden items have increased by 50% to 100%. “We’ve seen double-digit increases in the number of freezers advertised and more than double the volume of freezers sold compared to the same time last year,” Huzar said. “People are buying more food to freeze and limit their excursions outside.”
Kendall Meza of Clute, Texas, claimed she skipped the toilet paper stocking-up trend. She was more concerned about the food at the time, and in January, she made the decision to have an additional freezer after closely following the coronavirus news out of China. But she acknowledged that convincing her husband Tino required some work.
I informed him that while we couldn’t really afford to spend the money at this time, it is necessary so that we may stock up and avoid having to visit the store again, Meza added. The Meza’s purchased a freezer at Lowe’s in early March as the coronavirus spread and had bread, milk, and other frozen items on hand. Allyson Scrivani was looking for a freezer in New York at the same time.
Scrivani purchased a freezer from Best Buy because Home Depot and Lowe’s were out of stock, and it was supposed to be ready for pickup in a few days. She has had several delays and is still waiting.
“I became extremely happy thinking I won it and I was going to have it in a few days,” said Scrivani, who temporarily relocated with her 2-year-old son, Patrick, from her Yonkers, New York, apartment to a modest cottage in the Catskills for safety.
Since there aren’t many supermarket options in the Catskills, delivery isn’t an option, according to her. The drive to Walmart takes 40 minutes. Scrivani remarked, “I wanted to avoid going out to the supermarket as much as I could. My intention was to buy a lot of fresh food, prepare it, and freeze it; however, I have no freezer space.
The installation, hauling away, and maintenance of major appliances, including refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, and TVs, have been put on hold, Best Buy just said. The products come with free delivery to your home.
According to Best Buy CEO Corie Barry, “we are witnessing a rise in demand throughout the country for devices that individuals need to work or learn from home, as well as those products that allow them to refrigerate or freeze food.” “We are changing how we work in numerous ways to increase safety as we satisfy the need for these essentials.”
The demand for freezers has skyrocketed, according to Lowe’s executives, and they are working round-the-clock to restock their inventory. Meanwhile, sales of vacuum sealers, accessories, and storage for plasticware have dramatically surged at Walmart.
In a recent interview with USA TODAY, Marvin Ellison, president, and chief executive officer of Lowe’s, noted that when customers load up on bulk food items, they need a place to put them. Many refrigerators were still in stock at major shops on Friday for customers who had extra room.
In an email, Best Buy stated that April 21 is the deadline before the order is canceled, but Scrivani insists she still wants the freezer. She answered, “Unless they cancel the order, we’re not canceling it.”
There ought to be a freezer section in your refrigerator if you have one at home. But hold on, what if we told you that owning a chest freezer would completely alter the situation?
Here are a few benefits of owning a chest freezer in your house!
Space
Do you struggle to make room in your freezer compartment for that large bag of ice if a party is approaching? You may put bags of ice inside a chest freezer without any issues. Additionally, you may purchase discounted frozen food in bulk and save a ton of money.
Convenience
Meal prep, in two words. You may prepare your meals in advance for the entire week using a chest freezer. When it’s time to dine, all you have to do is remove your food from the freezer and reheat it in the microwave or on the stove. This will save you time on busy days and money when you prepare in quantity.
Fast Freezing Capability
Fresh food may take longer to freeze and may warm up the food around it if it is placed in the freezer without first reducing the temperature. The fast freezing feature is excellent for quickly freezing goods that haven’t been frozen beforehand.
Power Saving
In reality, chest freezers save electricity. Chest freezers are outfitted with new and enhanced compressor, making it energy efficient and thus assisting you in saving on power bills.
Environmentally responsible
The R600a refrigerant, which is efficient and safe for the environment, is used in the X-Series. It uses less energy and has minimal potential to cause global warming (GWP). Getting a chest freezer may make your living much more convenient and valuable. Any home would benefit greatly from it.
Salman is a prolific environmental writer, and has authored more than 500 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management, sustainability and conservation all over the world.
Salman can be reached on salman@cleantechloops.com
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