Behavior Patterns in Panic Buying

[CaptTom]

If this isn't a serious enough topic for this forum, please feel free to delete or move it as appropriate.

I've been in supermarkets and big-box stores a few times from the start of panic buying, most recently last night. I'm starting to see some interesting patterns develop. I think these are good insights into human behavior. I'm not making judgement calls, just observing.

I'd like to hear what others have observed, but I'll start with the most obvious one: perceptions of inferior and superior goods, using those terms in the economic sense.

First thing to be wiped out (no pun intended) was big name-brand toilet paper. Even Scott brand (my preference) was left behind in favor of the heavily advertised ones like Charmin. I saw the exact same pattern in other goods. Just last night the supermarket had lots of store-brand breakfast cereal left, but not a single box of the advertised brands.

Beef sold out before pork, but surprisingly, chicken was the first meat section to empty out. The only ones left standing last night were the vegetable-based meat substitutes. This one surprised me, since the meat substitute companies are (were?) the darlings of Wall Street.

Other perceived "healthy" products - gluten free, organic, free-range, cage-free, etc. - remain as islands of unsold goods on otherwise empty shelves. I found that very surprising. It seems people love to cater to these fads until the going gets rough, then they revert back to comfort foods.

Anyway, someone needs to do a research study on this. It's fascinating!

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

I like Scott TP too. DW hates it. Without getting too specific, I think it's a question of strength vs. absorbency.

 

[Nemo2]

Various brands aside, is there an element of "Maybe those people buying xxxx know something I don't - perhaps I should load up too"?

 

[John Galt III]

If this isn't a serious enough topic for this forum, please feel free to delete or move it as appropriate.


First thing to be wiped out (no pun intended) was big name-brand toilet paper. Even Scott brand (my preference) was left behind in favor of the heavily advertised ones like Charmin. I saw the exact same pattern in other goods. Just last night the supermarket had lots of store-brand breakfast cereal left, but not a single box of the advertised brands.

Other perceived "healthy" products - gluten free, organic, free-range, cage-free, etc. - remain as islands of unsold goods on otherwise empty shelves. I found that very surprising. It seems people love to cater to these fads until the going gets rough, then they revert back to comfort foods.

Anyway, someone needs to do a research study on this. It's fascinating!

Hmmm. I wonder if Whole Foods had any empty shelves. They have only organic, right? Or mostly organic, and high priced?

 

[Dash man]

DW noticed the shelves were still filled with these Doritos, despite all other snack foods were gone.

 

[ocdokie]

DH and I were at Whole Foods early last Saturday morning (Mar.14) for a croissant outing, eating at a table near the checkout lines. Every single customer had a cart filled with multiple packages of toilet paper, and nothing else.

 

[Rianne]

I'm happy for the grocery stores. Kroger stock up 8.22%. I don't really understand panic buying behavior. They will eventually stock up if the demand is there. The idea I must have 10,000 of this today, right now. My parents lived through the Great Depression and came out OK. We are a spoiled society, except for the poor.

 

[tinlizzy]

My sister orders food (instacart) from Natural Grocers and the co-op. I took a chance and headed into a poor neighborhood and went to Save A Lot. Neither one of us had any problem getting groceries.

Going the opposite direction of the general population seems to work. I didn't check the asian, indian, kosher or halal markets but I bet they are still stocked.

 

[Rianne]

Going the opposite direction of the general population seems to work. I didn't check the asian, indian, kosher or halal markets but I bet they are still stocked.

Exactly, major grocery store chain bleach shelf empty. I went to the dollar store and the shelves were full. Bleach, TP, cleaners, soaps. Was not even that busy.

 

[ckelly78z]

I think most people are sheep that follow whatever is trending at the moment. Some have no desire to buy any store brand/value products, because they are viewed as inferior. Many children drive the buying habits of their parents by demanding cool boxes of cereal, or cans of ravioli with the little chef on the outside.

Most advertising doesn't work on me, and I have no issue whatsoever with "Great Value", or "Sam's Choice"...I can't imagine people being influenced by packaging, but it happens every day.

 

[gerntz]

Beef sold out before pork, but surprisingly, chicken was the first meat section to empty out.

Isn't chicken the least expensive per pound & favored by kids?

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

or perhaps in a time of psychologically feeling like theres a shortage of other luxuries (going to shows, plays, theatres, out to eat) people want to eat name brand doritos and wipe their business end in luxurious softness. Suffer in one area, enjoy in others. I can say I did not skimp on groceries in the past few weeks as we stocked up. If food is the highlight of the day, I want it to be good. Im not eating junk esp if I have the time and money to eat well.

 

[SecondCor521]

I think it's utterly fascinating.

I remember a study I read about once which tried to determine why some musical artists become extraordinarily successful and others with essentially equal talent, resources, and opportunities do not. The conclusion of the study is that there is a positive feedback loop where one artist randomly gets a little more likes, which then turns into a bit more radio play time, which then gets people requesting their songs, which then turns them into a budding pop star, which then gets them invited to the music awards shows, etc.

I think the same thing happens with panic buying. Around here, many of the choices were logical but some escaped explanation. Butter was sold out, but there was still margarine left, and this was in a low-price / low-income area.

On a related note, people are posting pictures on social media showing empty shelves. Yes, there are some areas of stores which are sold out, but they are limited. Probably over 90% of the store we went to was in perfectly fine shape. My son and I decided that people note and post about things that are out of the ordinary. This makes things seem worse than they are.

 

[NW-Bound]

DW noticed the shelves were still filled with these Doritos, despite all other snack foods were gone.

The picture on the package with flames coming out of the chips sends a subliminal message.

Hot, flame, fire, fever...

 

[RunningBum]

Does anyone remember when Johnny Carson made a joke about a TP shortage, and people starting buying it up and caused a real shortage? He had to go remind people that it was a joke.

 

[REWahoo]

Does anyone remember when Johnny Carson made a joke about a TP shortage, and people starting buying it up and caused a real shortage? He had to go remind people that it was a joke.

Yep

 

[Nemo2]

He had to go remind people that it was a joke.

So many people are literally literal.

 

[Amethyst]

I think if you're connected to a local family or friend circle, one person just calls another and says "Get over here, XX is going fast!"
We usually pick up a big pack of TP every 3 months, and the panic hit just as we were running out.
No name-brand TP has been for sale in any store we've visited in a 30-mile radius, nor online except at scalper prices. Was able to get a small pack of Walmart's store brand yesterday. Plenty of paper towels. Facial tissue has become available since word went round that it shouldn't be flushed down the toilet.
I cannot get Lysol Power & Free, any rubbing alcohol, any nitrile gloves - all household cleaning staples for me. Oddly, I was able to grab a 4-pack of alcohol-based glass cleaner, which is fairly antiseptic.
Have been unable to obtain a medical thermometer, period.
As for groceries, all pasta is gone except for lasagna noodles and those tri-colored twisty ones. Meat is low. Dairy is OK so far. And the cookie/candy aisles seem well-stocked (except for popcorn), so it's almost as if the hoarders are being health-conscious!

 

[JoeWras]

I don't know anything about the panic buying patterns because we didn't go to the store. I guess we're screwed now, although we have 2 weeks to live on. Will the hoarders just keep going back until their damn basements are filled?

 

[statsman]

What surprises me, with the threatened national lockdown just over the horizon, is people bypassing most of the fresh produce section for frozen items like pizzas, TV dinners, and hot pockets. You would think at time when trying to be healthy might be a benefit, many are using this as an excuse to eat an unhealthy and snack-based diet. At least make an attempt to eat some healthy food while it's available before embarking on binge-eating mostly junk.

 

[statsman]

I didn't check the asian, indian, kosher or halal markets but I bet they are still stocked.

Mostly. A combo Asian/Indian market near us had a decent amount of stocked items yesterday. But certain frozen vegetables, like edamame, were picked clean, as were some of the teas (Ahmad Teas are my favorite), which is why I was there in the first place. They had signs limiting their water and paper products to be "One per customer". As such, they still had those products in stock.

 

[Spock]

I know this isn't the joke thread, but it fits prior comments...

 

[JoeWras]

I needed that laugh!

 

[KCGeezer]

And the cookie/candy aisles seem well-stocked (except for popcorn), so it's almost as if the hoarders are being health-conscious!

When I went to Costco last week, I picked up 2 of the big jars of chocolate covered almonds. They go under the “I’d have gotten them sometime anyway” category.

 

[MRG]

I've had the same observations just did a run today. The only thing well stocked was health food. I needed yeast for a pizza and all the yeast was gone except yeast marked for pizza. The yeast that only works for bread was sold out. Those little fungi are smarter than we give them credit for.