SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Nutrition related purchases have soared in South Dakota since the pandemic started, that’s according to data from Ibotta, a national cash-back platform.

“A lot of it is in the immune category, anything anti-viral, anything immune boosting… probiotics,” Wayne and Mary’s Nutrition Center General Manager Tara Whiting said. 

Wayne and Mary’s Nutrition Center has seen more people concerned about their health since the pandemic started.

“People that we haven’t had as customers before have definitely been focusing on their health and more proactively by taking multivitamins, taking Vitamin C, taking things that will truly boost your immune system,” Whiting said. 

Their in-store traffic continues to be a little lower than usual, but they’ve seen a steady increase in deliveries.

“We’ve been continuing with tons of mail orders,” Whiting said. 

The pandemic has not only had an impact on their sales, it’s also affecting the inventory they have on their shelves.

“Inventory was an issue for a while and it still is and it’s actually getting a little worse for us now,” Whiting said. 

Whiting says many of the products they carry are sourced internationally and getting those in stock has been a challenge for almost a year.

“We have orders that are coming in 40 percent full,” Whiting said. “Some of our most popular products have been out of stock for six to eight weeks and it’s raw material issues.”

While more people may be interested in nutrition right now, Whiting says they haven’t seen a true boost in overall income due to the added costs of operating their business during the pandemic.