Salinas jigsaw puzzles
As coronavirus sweeps the country and sends millions sheltering in place, Americans are increasingly spending their time, and money, on jigsaw puzzles.
The majority of the U.S. population is now under stay-at-home instructions, and businesses across the country are sending employees home. In the face of what health officials warn could be months of widespread closures, consumers are snapping up the time-tested indoor games, depleting inventories and driving up prices.
Gamemaker Ravensburger has seen U.S. puzzle sales soar 370% year over year in the past two weeks, according to the company’s North America CEO Filip Francke. Factoring in the recent surge, the company is averaging closer to 20 puzzles sold per minute for 2020. 
“Puzzles are not a necessity, of course, but the consumer is clearly telling us that there’s a large need that we can help fill at these times,” Francke said. —Hannah Miller