Forget flour. Knitting supplies are the hot items at Loblaw these days

First, it was a run on toilet paper. Then, a rise in at-home baking sent flour flying off grocery stores shelves. Now, says Loblaw president Sarah Davis, the grocer is selling more knitting materials than ever before.

During an episode of RBC Disruptors--an ongoing podcast series hosted by RBC's SVP John Stackhouse--Davis and Instacart president Nilam Ganenthiran discussed how shopper behaviour has changed through various stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though the economy is slowly reopening and restrictions are loosening, Loblaw has seen an uptick in what Davis calls "nesting items" for activities done at home including fitness equipment and crafts. "I've never seen so much knitting being sold in our stores," says Davis.

Loblaw is also coming off its "best gardening season," Davis says, with a growing number of customers planting their own vegetables.

Click here to listen to the full episode.