The Grocery Trolley Race in Times of Covid-19. Evidence from Italy

We study sales dynamics of grocery chain stores during the first wave COVID-19 pandemics in Italy. document a sustained growth revenues for storable products, such as food staples and household supplies, arising right before restrictions to mobility were introduced, protracted throughout whole lockdown period. further look into revenue surge, by disentangling role different types stores. find that increase has been driven smaller outlets, located urban areas, closer city center, while hypermarkets faced drop period, plausibly related their more peripheral position. also exploit both remarkable granularity scanner data, staggered implementation across Italian regions causally identify short-term effects constraints on outlets' sales. According our estimates, large areas subject measures earned around 10 percent lower than control group's.