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!
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!