CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Throughout quarantine, different hobbies like gardening, biking and baking really exploded. These activities got so popular, many of the items you needed to do them were sold out everywhere. Remember when you couldn't find hand weights for working out at home? Or yeast at the grocery store?
Another hobby that popped was doing puzzles, and Jan. 29 happens to be National Puzzle Day.
At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a shortage of puzzles. The demand for puzzles really hasn't slowed down since then so businesses had to get creative to keep the trend going.
"We have kind of a gag gift puzzle: It’s toilet paper," the owners of Paper Skyscraper in Charlotte's Dilworth neighborhood, Bill and Sybil Godwin, told WCNC Charlotte.
The Godwins said puzzles have been one of their most sold items since curbside pickup launched mid-pandemic.
"Everything ranging from little 20-piece puzzles, all the way up to 1,000-piece puzzles," the Godwins said. "Something for everybody. Little mini ones for children, and then these are kind of fun. They are 3D puzzles for kids.”
Other local businesses that typically didn't even touch the area of "gifts and games" found ways to profit when revenue was declining for other retailers.
Cody Hughes, with RedefineU, said he and his business partner were discussing what they could possibly do to try and save their company. The idea to turn their beautiful skyline shots into unique and limited-edition puzzles came to fruition and, to their surprise, it was a hit.
"When we originally ordered it, we kind of thought it would just be our moms that would order and that just got blown through," Hughes said. "We were so thankful that people were so receptive of a new idea and supporting small business, so it was really neat to see people rally behind an idea that we thought only our moms or friends would purchase.”
Since their first launch, many other puzzles have followed. Currently, they are selling puzzles online featuring the Knights stadium, the Outer Banks and even Charlotte's French Quarter for sale in puzzle form.
Are you a part of the puzzle craze? Let us know! Send in your pictures of the puzzles you've done through quarantine to 704-329-3600.
Check out the puzzles Wake Up Charlotte's Carolyn Bruck's mother has done.
