Estimation question

You are a product delivery manager at Amazon. Estimate how many face masks Amazon needs to stock in UK stores during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

Practice this question out loud. An AI interviewer asks it, follows up like a real interviewer would, and scores your answer. Type or speak.

What this question tests

Estimation with real-world segmentation (footfall, staffing, buffer stock) under an unusual demand-spike constraint.

Clarify scope: masks for Amazon's own UK physical stores as retail inventory, not an online SKU forecast.
Estimate the number of UK physical store locations and average daily footfall per store.
Estimate mask usage: roughly one mask per shopper visit plus fresh masks per staff member per shift.
Compute total masks/day as footfall plus staff-shift needs, summed across stores.
Add a buffer stock, say two weeks of supply, given supply-chain risk during lockdown.

Separates customer-facing masks from staff PPE, since usage patterns and grade differ.
Uses a plausible store count and footfall, e.g. a few dozen UK locations times a few hundred shoppers a day.
Notes lockdown lowers footfall but raises compliance requirements, and states which effect nets out.

Ignoring staff mask needs and estimating only customer masks.
Not stating a buffer-stock assumption, leaving the number fragile to demand spikes.

How would this change if the UK mandated masks in all indoor retail?
How would you plan procurement lead time given global mask shortages at the time?