A Leman’s store in Kidron, Ohio reports sales of butter churns have increased 250 percent since the beginning of March. Lone Star Candle Supply in Fort Worth says it’s sales of candle-making kits have more than doubled during that time. And a number of retailers have sold more washboards in the past month-and-a-half than they have in years.
While these items may seem better suited for little houses on prairies rather than 21st Century smart homes, the sales spikes represent a return to simpler times for many U.S. residents, says Sue Poremba, president of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association. “It’s, in a sense, a survival technique,” Poremba says. “People right now are feeling like they want to get back to an old-time sense of independence.”
While Leman’s CEO Galen Lehman agrees with Poremba, saying, “Our soul craves a simpler life,” not everyone was prepared to time travel 150 years in the past. Lone Star Candle manager Blair Clark notes, “It took us by surprise, to be really honest. What the heck is happening?”
How has your day-to-day life changed since you’ve been stuck at home? Would you even know how to work a butter churn?
