The Logic of Panic Buying

[Zardnaar]

Dumb panic buying story. Closed for Easter Friday so staff can restock.

"Supermarkets aren't doing as many specials and prices are creeping up".

Staff working in Friday to restock. Overtime rates time and a half day in lieu.

$30+ an hour
Work 8 hours, get 8 hours holiday pay added.

Groceries cost more. No **** Sherlock.

 

[Janx]

Before the scarcity panic started, I bought a jug of sanitizer because I was fixing the plumbing that weekend and the water was out. That stuff will last forever because once I fixed the pipe, we wash our hands like normal people.

My wife's got a friend in Australia, which is about a week ahead of the US in the future (a joke for another time) and they already had the TP scarcity so she sent me to the store to grab a pack. The next day, the hoarders hit, and I haven't seen TP on the shelves since in Houston. A friend who works at HEB scored me another pack last week.

As to why it's scarce? I assume two factors started it: intent to price gouge and desire to quarantine for a long time. With no limits in place, those people emptied the stores.

My agent at HEB then explained why the problem continues. Space on the truck. Paper products take up more space and the stores had every category of product wiped out, so they never got enough TP to fully restock the shelf.

Once the scarcity hit, everybody realized they couldn't just nip off to the store for more of anything as needed., so when anything they might need hit the shelf, they grabbed it. If TP happens to be on the shelf when I'm in the store this week, I'm grabbing my two packs because I don't know when I'll see more. I would not keep doing that if I have at least one sealed pack left. But it's random chance when the truck arrives and the shelf has product and I haven't seen it in the store since before the hoarders hit three weeks ago.

 

[Zardnaar]

Shelves here are fine for TP. Got low at one point.

Super markets closed today. Friend had the ideas of going at 6:30 yesterday to dodge the crowds. So did everyone else.

Might break the powdered milk out, we've got a litre left we just don't want to go out due to Easter.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Our TP situation is odd.

We we were running low enough to put it on the grocery list when the panic buyers emptied the shelves. Before we could run out, our houseguest was able to score a pack at a drugstore- single-ply, but hey!

But before we even made a significant dent in THOSE- we decided to use them before the rest of our preferred brand- Dad was able to buy a 12-pack of the good stuff. And a couple days ago, my maternal aunt brought us another.

So we’re good for the foreseeable future.

 

[practicalm]

Another explanation for the TP shortage is that the manufacturers run at 24/7 capacity for normal buying. There is no additional capacity to add so the panic buying demand cannot be matched and given that this isn't likely to last for very long, there is no easy way to increase production capacity.

The only thing I really haven't been able to find is yeast. Everything else seems to have been restocked at some point or another.

 

[Zardnaar]

Another explanation for the TP shortage is that the manufacturers run at 24/7 capacity for normal buying. There is no additional capacity to add so the panic buying demand cannot be matched and given that this isn't likely to last for very long, there is no easy way to increase production capacity.

The only thing I really haven't been able to find is yeast. Everything else seems to have been restocked at some point or another.

Yeast gone here as well.

We have a bit and can still buy bread so it's not a massive deal.
Just avoid supermarkets on Wednesday and Thursday, benefit days and often payday.

With Easter there was a run on wine.

With Facebook it seems everyones just drinking.

Sex toy sales also tripled.

Polishing off some beer, wife's hooking into the wine.

 

[Tonguez]

Another explanation for the TP shortage is that the manufacturers run at 24/7 capacity for normal buying. There is no additional capacity to add so the panic buying demand cannot be matched and given that this isn't likely to last for very long, there is no easy way to increase production capacity.

The only thing I really haven't been able to find is yeast. Everything else seems to have been restocked at some point or another.

You do know theres yeast everywhere - including in the air, harvest that

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Another explanation for the TP shortage is that the manufacturers run at 24/7 capacity for normal buying. There is no additional capacity to add so the panic buying demand cannot be matched and given that this isn't likely to last for very long, there is no easy way to increase production capacity.

The only thing I really haven't been able to find is yeast. Everything else seems to have been restocked at some point or another.

From what I have heard from people working in retail, the supply of TP is just fine. But TP is a very bulky product to ship, and the panic buyers are outstripping the ability of manufacturers to deliver it. IOW, the bottleneck is logistical, not supply.

 

[Zardnaar]

From what I have heard from people working in retail, the supply of TP is just fine. But TP is a very bulky product to ship, and the panic buyers are outstripping the ability of manufacturers to deliver it. IOW, the bottleneck is logistical, not supply.

I used to work in a distribution center. TPs easy to ship as you said very bulky.

The bottleneck is the guys who go around the DCs collecting stuff. Only so many can fit down the aisles, only so many palatizers and forklifts available and can fit etc.

 

[Umbran]

Another explanation for the TP shortage is that the manufacturers run at 24/7 capacity for normal buying. There is no additional capacity to add so the panic buying demand cannot be matched and given that this isn't likely to last for very long, there is no easy way to increase production capacity.

It isn't that simple.

1) Much of the capacity is used in making paper products for workplaces - they make TP expecting folks to be going to the bathroom in office buildings for much of the week. This leaves us with an issue much like we have with flour - there's plenty of it around, but not the stuff you buy for your home.

2) After the initial rush of panic buying of everything, there's only so much capacity for restocking stores - and on a truck those paper products take up huge volume for a relatively small number of units. So, they only restock so much at a time, and everyone who didn't panic-buy scoops up what does appear.