Toilet paper, canned food: What explains coronavirus panic buying
4 years, 9 months ago

Toilet paper, canned food: What explains coronavirus panic buying

Al Jazeera  

As the epidemic spreads across the globe, people have been seen rushing to supermarkets to buy ‘essentials’ in bulk. “Panic buying and hoarding of supplies is obviously not desirable, but it’s understandable, particularly when people see images of cities, regions and even whole countries in lockdown,” Michael Baker, professor of public health at the University of Otago in Wellington, New Zealand, told Al Jazeera. “The difference this time is that people now see COVID-19 as a real threat, one that will last for months, and they may not have confidence in the authorities to contain it.” Insufficient information on the new coronavirus is also playing a factor in people’s response, while current measures taken by the authorities do not seem to have reassured the masses. You tell yourself that at some point I’ll have to use it, so I might as well get loads of it, especially as the duration is uncertain.” While panic buying may give consumers a sense of control and help them manage anxiety, experts said it could also disrupt the supply chain. “WHO calling it one now makes no difference.” Baker said the WHO’s January 30 announcement, declaring coronavirus PHEIC essentially meant it was a global health emergency.

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History of this topic

Why is toilet paper out of stock? Customers panic-buy as port strike enters day three
3 months ago

Why is toilet paper out of stock? Customers panic-buy as port strike enters day three

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} More …

Panic buying begins amid threat of dockworkers' strike, with toilet paper flying off the shelves again
3 months ago

Panic buying begins amid threat of dockworkers' strike, with toilet paper flying off the shelves again

Daily Mail  

Alarmed Virginia residents have rushed out to their nearest grocery stores to panic buy bulk rolls of toilet paper. In an eerie flashback to the Covid-19 pandemic, images and videos show dozens of worried locals stocking up on home essentials as port workers across the country go on strike. Images and videos of dozens of worried people standing in line …

Ukraine war fears saw surge in British shoppers ‘panic buying’ essentials from toilet roll to dried pasta
2 years, 8 months ago

Ukraine war fears saw surge in British shoppers ‘panic buying’ essentials from toilet roll to dried pasta

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Empty shelves of sunflower oil, at a Caprabo supermarket in …

Costco brings back purchase limits on toilet paper, cleaning supplies and more amid supply chain crisis
3 years, 3 months ago

Costco brings back purchase limits on toilet paper, cleaning supplies and more amid supply chain crisis

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Costco has decided to …

Panic buying psychology and how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed consumer behaviour
3 years, 9 months ago

Panic buying psychology and how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed consumer behaviour

ABC  

Panic buying and an interest in sanitiser and sourdough bread recipes are among the strange consumer trends to emerge during the coronavirus pandemic. Key points: Sourdough and sanitiser recipes were a major supermarket's most searched items during the pandemic A study of consumers found 46 per cent care more about Australian-made since COVID-19 A major supermarket has seen a 33 …

Panic buying of toilet paper in US amid Covid-19 surge
4 years, 1 month ago

Panic buying of toilet paper in US amid Covid-19 surge

India Today  

Covid-19 curfews and shutdowns in states from California to New York has send pandemic-weary shoppers on a new scramble for essentials with some stores in the US reporting panic buying of toilet paper once again. “Walmarts are still mostly out of Lysol wipes, and toilet paper is out again,” said Whitley Hatcher, 31, a collections specialist in Tucson, Arizona. At …

How The Coronavirus Has Affected What We Buy At The Grocery Store
4 years, 5 months ago

How The Coronavirus Has Affected What We Buy At The Grocery Store

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING As the major effects of the coronavirus pandemic make themselves apparent ― the ubiquity of masks and hand sanitizer, restaurants serving at half capacity ― other, more subtle changes are still just coming into focus. “Anything that can be associated with immunity is gaining strength and momentum, even if it’s more expensive.” - Frances Zelazny, chief marketing …

Restocking supermarket shelves after coronavirus panic buying doesn't happen overnight. Let's unpack why
4 years, 8 months ago

Restocking supermarket shelves after coronavirus panic buying doesn't happen overnight. Let's unpack why

ABC  

For many people the beginning of the coronavirus crisis was marked with scrambles to buy toilet paper and supermarket scrums. Coles chief operations officer Matt Swindells said the panic buying phenomenon started a ripple effect that impacted every aspect of the supply chain. "The amount of toilet paper Australians need is not the same amount of toilet paper Australians are …

Coronavirus panic-buying: As supermarkets ration items, should customers be stockpiling?
4 years, 8 months ago

Coronavirus panic-buying: As supermarkets ration items, should customers be stockpiling?

The Independent  

Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Ocado warned customers they were facing “exceptionally high demand” for delivery slots, while elsewhere …

Panic buying could impact global food supply chain: World Food Programme
4 years, 9 months ago

Panic buying could impact global food supply chain: World Food Programme

Live Mint  

United Nations: The rapidly growing novel coronavirus pandemic is so far having little impact on the global food supply chain, but that could change for the worse – and soon – if anxiety-driven panic by major food importers takes hold, the World Food Programme has said. "But we may soon expect to see disruptions in food supply chains," she said, …

World risks food crisis in wake of coronavirus, officials warn
4 years, 9 months ago

World risks food crisis in wake of coronavirus, officials warn

Al Jazeera  

Governments must ensure free trade especially to avoid further slowdowns in food-supply chains, WTO, WHO, UN say. As governments around the world are trying to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus by putting their populations in lockdown, international trade and food supply chains suffered a severe slowdown. “Uncertainty about food availability can spark a wave of export restrictions, creating …

The best products to stock-up on for lockdown, according to a survivalist
4 years, 9 months ago

The best products to stock-up on for lockdown, according to a survivalist

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for insider tips and product reviews from our shopping experts Sign up for our free IndyBest email Sign up for our free IndyBest email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This revenue helps to fund journalism across Sawyer Point One Emergency Water Filtration …

Want To Know Why People Stockpile Toilet Paper? I'm A Hoarder And I Have A Few Ideas.
4 years, 9 months ago

Want To Know Why People Stockpile Toilet Paper? I'm A Hoarder And I Have A Few Ideas.

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING As soon as reports of a toilet paper shortage fueled by coronavirus panic-buying surfaced, social media mockery followed. “Accumulating objects, whether it’s useful ones like paper clips or pens or fun ones like stuffed animals, makes me feel like I’m prepared. Accumulating objects, whether it’s useful ones like paper clips or pens or fun ones like stuffed …

Coronavirus panic buying takes root at nurseries selling fruit and vegetable plants and seeds
4 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus panic buying takes root at nurseries selling fruit and vegetable plants and seeds

ABC  

First it was the panic buying of toilet rolls, then staples like rice, pasta and meat — now it's spread to the nursery industry as demand for edible plants and seeds heats up due to coronavirus. Key points: Some people who have been in the industry for decades describe the run on plants as "unprecedented" Many people buying plants at …

I'm working at a supermarket during the coronavirus pandemic. This is what it's like
4 years, 9 months ago

I'm working at a supermarket during the coronavirus pandemic. This is what it's like

ABC  

As a supermarket worker, last week started out like any other. Toilet paper panic Photo shows Trolley loaded with toilet paper at an Australian supermarket in coronavirus story about why everyone's buying toilet paper. COVID-19 and working from home Photo shows Fiona Wright stands on a balcony with plants in story about working from home due to coronavirus and looking …

Panic buying: How grocery stores restock shelves in the age of coronavirus
4 years, 9 months ago

Panic buying: How grocery stores restock shelves in the age of coronavirus

CNN  

By Sunday, Stew Leonard Jr. and his team were ready for a break. “Saturday was really, really busy,” Leonard, the CEO and president of Stew Leonard’s, a grocery store chain with seven locations across New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, said. The supply chain in this country is very efficient and it’s very effective.” Greg Ferrara, president and CEO, National …

Coronavirus isn't causing Australia to run out of food — but why are shelves still bare?
4 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus isn't causing Australia to run out of food — but why are shelves still bare?

ABC  

Until a couple of weeks ago — before the coronavirus crisis — the biggest queues you would probably expect to see at supermarkets were at checkouts, as people lined up to leave. "I think a lot of consumers — they worry that something won't be available, and so they don't really understand what goes behind the shelf," Associate Professor Simpson …

Coronavirus 'panic buying' prompts warning over toilet paper alternatives
4 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus 'panic buying' prompts warning over toilet paper alternatives

ABC  

South Australians have been warned they could end up with faeces on the bathroom floor if sewers become blocked with newspaper, wet wipes and tissues. Key points: Removing wet wipes and other "unflushable" objects from the sewer network costs SA $400,000 annually SA Water — which has retrieved numerous strange items from the network, including a rubber chicken — advises …

Australia coronavirus outbreak: PM warns of ‘once-in-100 year’ crisis
4 years, 9 months ago

Australia coronavirus outbreak: PM warns of ‘once-in-100 year’ crisis

CNN  

Brisbane, Australia CNN — Australian Prime Minister has warned people to “stop hoarding,” as shoppers across the country empty supermarket shelves amid rising alarm over the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, which has infected almost 180,000 people worldwide. Some fear the rapid rise in coronavirus cases suggest that Australia’s normally robust health system could be overwhelmed, like Italy’s where …

Panic buying is forcing supermarkets to ration food and supplies
4 years, 9 months ago

Panic buying is forcing supermarkets to ration food and supplies

CNN  

London CNN Business — Supermarkets in countries around the world are rationing food and household staples in an attempt to prevent shortages as the coronavirus pandemic sparks waves of panic buying. Popular products such as toilet paper, soap and long-life milk will be limited to two per customer, Sainsbury’s CEO Mike Coupe said in a letter to customers. The four-item …

Grofers, BigBasket see orders soaring as coronavirus lockdown shuts malls in multiple cities
4 years, 9 months ago

Grofers, BigBasket see orders soaring as coronavirus lockdown shuts malls in multiple cities

Firstpost  

New Delhi: Online grocery platforms Grofers and BigBasket are witnessing up to two-fold growth in purchases as authorities in multiple cities close malls and shopping places to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Ahmedabad have seen a higher surge with nearly 80 percent growth followed by Delhi NCR and Hyderabad at a 60 percent spike in …

Coronavirus: Why people are panic buying toilet paper, according to a pandemic expert
4 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus: Why people are panic buying toilet paper, according to a pandemic expert

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Stockpiling of general items can be partly explained …

Coronavirus is causing panic buying, but what does that mean for Australia's food security?
4 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus is causing panic buying, but what does that mean for Australia's food security?

ABC  

Empty supermarket shelves have become a common sight in the past few weeks, since coronavirus sparked widespread panic buying. Key points: Coronavirus has led to temporary shortages of some products in supermarkets But retail and agricultural experts say Australia has plenty of food to go around Rationing was introduced during World War II, but is extremely unlikely to be repeated …

Here's What's Been Flying Off Store Shelves
4 years, 9 months ago

Here's What's Been Flying Off Store Shelves

NPR  

Here's What's Been Flying Off Store Shelves Enlarge this image toggle caption Gregory Shamus/Getty Images Gregory Shamus/Getty Images Updated at 3:04 p.m. ET We've seen pictures of people lining up at grocery stores, Costco and other retailers looking for essential supplies as the coronavirus crisis deepens. At a Harris Teeter grocery store in Washington, D.C., security worker Brando Sterling said …

Stop panic buying and hoarding food because of coronavirus, Mayor Garcetti tells L.A.
4 years, 9 months ago

Stop panic buying and hoarding food because of coronavirus, Mayor Garcetti tells L.A.

LA Times  

Shelves with toilet paper are half-empty at a Pavilions supermarket in South Pasadena on Wednesday. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti visited a Ralphs food distribution center in Paramount on Monday morning with several grocery store chain executives in an effort to calm Angelenos worried about the region’s grocery supplies. “But to buy so much food for a month, or even …

Coronavirus: Supermarkets appeal for public to stop panic buying as shelves emptied across UK
4 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus: Supermarkets appeal for public to stop panic buying as shelves emptied across UK

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy British food retailers have appealed to the public to stop …

Panic-buying rampage sparks concern in Number 10
4 years, 9 months ago

Panic-buying rampage sparks concern in Number 10

Daily Mail  

Supermarket bosses launched a plea for calm among shoppers yesterday after a wave of panic-buying around the country cleared shelves as people stockpiled for the expected coronavirus epidemic. Supermarkets are under huge pressure to meet demand Shoppers were seen in winding lines outside Savers supermarket in Wood Green, London, as they tried to get their hands on toilet roll, hand …

Britons form huge queues to purchase toilet roll and strip shelves bare as panic-buying continues
4 years, 9 months ago

Britons form huge queues to purchase toilet roll and strip shelves bare as panic-buying continues

Daily Mail  

Coronavirus panic-buying unleashed carnage on British supermarkets today as hordes of shoppers gutted the nation's food and toilet roll aisles. As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to rock everyday life for millions around the world: Ten over-60s died of the virus in the past 24 hours in the deadliest day of the UK's outbreak so far; An expert warned over 20million …

Grocery Stores Start To Cut Hours As Coronavirus Prompts Surge In Panic-Buying
4 years, 9 months ago

Grocery Stores Start To Cut Hours As Coronavirus Prompts Surge In Panic-Buying

NPR  

Grocery Stores Start To Cut Hours As Coronavirus Prompts Surge In Panic-Buying Enlarge this image toggle caption Ben Margot/AP Ben Margot/AP With jittery shoppers flocking to supermarkets to stock up on supplies for the coronavirus outbreak, some of the country's largest grocery chains are announcing measures to enhance sanitation and maintain supplies. With panic-buying gripping shoppers, Walmart, the nation's largest …

Consumer expert reveals why coronavirus toilet paper panic-buying craze will END this week
4 years, 9 months ago

Consumer expert reveals why coronavirus toilet paper panic-buying craze will END this week

Daily Mail  

Adam Ferrier said the panic-buying trend of stocking up on toilet paper was declining A consumer psychologist has predicted that Australia's toilet-paper hoarding will end on Friday. The toilet paper craze saw shoppers bulk buying toiletries, emptying shelves and fighting each other in the nation's major supermarkets, which had to start rationing sales. The great Aussie toilet paper splurge was …

When the government’s coronavirus guidance is this contradictory, you can’t blame people for panic-buying
4 years, 9 months ago

When the government’s coronavirus guidance is this contradictory, you can’t blame people for panic-buying

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy “What’s happening …

Spike in UK Coronavirus cases triggers panic buying fever
4 years, 9 months ago

Spike in UK Coronavirus cases triggers panic buying fever

India Today  

A spike in coronavirus cases in the United Kingdom has triggered panic buying of many goods including hand santisers and face masks. Panic buying is occcured in the UK despite government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance's statement that there is "absolutely no reason" to panic buy products. People visiting supermarkets or shops in the UK say it has become …

Why toilet paper has become the latest coronavirus panic buy
4 years, 9 months ago

Why toilet paper has become the latest coronavirus panic buy

CNN  

CNN — Masks were the first to go. “Unless people have seen … official promises that everyone will be taken care of, they are left to guess at the probability of needing the extra toilet paper, sooner rather than later,” he told CNN. “And when you see someone in the store, panic buying, that can cause a fear contagion effect.” …

Coronavirus panic shopping means some have months' worth of toilet paper while others can't get basic supplies
4 years, 10 months ago

Coronavirus panic shopping means some have months' worth of toilet paper while others can't get basic supplies

ABC  

Tiffany Kent says she thought it was funny when she first heard people were stocking up on toilet paper in case they contracted coronavirus because it sounded ridiculous. Key points: Consumers have been buying essential supplies in bulk, because of coronavirus fears Retailers say you can still order online, even if you do need to go into quarantine Major supermarkets …

With spreading virus comes fears -- and lots of stockpiling
4 years, 10 months ago

With spreading virus comes fears -- and lots of stockpiling

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — As an Arizonan, Gregory Cohen has never had to stock up ahead of a hurricane or other natural disaster. “This is my way of exerting control of the uncertainty of the current situation.” COVID-19, the disease that has sickened more than 100,000 people worldwide and killed more than 3,400 people, has created legions of nervous hoarders who …

‘It’s crazy’: Panic buying forces stores to limit purchases of toilet paper and masks
4 years, 10 months ago

‘It’s crazy’: Panic buying forces stores to limit purchases of toilet paper and masks

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN Business — Rationing supplies. In the United Kingdom, Boots is limiting the purchase of hand sanitizer to two bottles per customer, and UK online grocer Ocado has advised customers to place orders further in advance in the wake of “exceptionally high demand.” Emergency food service providers — which send freeze dried meals to people preparing for crises …

Coronavirus toilet paper emergency: Experts explain why it happened
4 years, 10 months ago

Coronavirus toilet paper emergency: Experts explain why it happened

Daily Mail  

Shoppers are panic buying toilet paper because of a primal yearning to feel in 'control' amid fears of a global coronavirus pandemic, leading psychologists say. A shopper loads his cars up with Quilton and Kleenex toilet paper in Sydney's west on Wednesday afternoon - as coronavirus fears escalate Wiped clean: Bare shelves at a Sydney Woolworths are shoppers 'panic bought' …

Coronavirus: Australia running out of toilet paper
4 years, 10 months ago

Coronavirus: Australia running out of toilet paper

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Covid19 scare prompts \'panic buy\' in Australia
4 years, 10 months ago

Covid19 scare prompts \'panic buy\' in Australia

Deccan Chronicle  

Sydney: Australia's biggest supermarket on Wednesday announced a limit on toilet paper purchases after the global spread of coronavirus sparked a spate of panic buying Down Under. Woolworths said the restriction of four packs of toilet paper per person would apply "to ensure more customers have access to the products". Despite government assurances, there has been a run on some …

Coronavirus COVID-19: Why is everyone buying toilet paper?
4 years, 10 months ago

Coronavirus COVID-19: Why is everyone buying toilet paper?

ABC  

On my regular trip to the supermarket yesterday, there was not a single roll of toilet paper to be found. Why there's no toilet paper on your supermarket shelves Gary Mortimer, a retail expert and professor at QUT, says there are two main reasons supermarkets are running low on toilet paper. "If we think about toilet paper, it tends to …

Coronavirus: The psychology of panic buying
4 years, 10 months ago

Coronavirus: The psychology of panic buying

BBC  

Coronavirus: The psychology of panic buying Getty Images Amid the coronavirus outbreak, people are flocking to supermarkets worldwide – but are they simply preparing, or irrationally panicking? “Under circumstances like these, people feel the need to do something that’s proportionate to what they perceive is the level of the crisis,” Taylor says. “ getting excessive play in social media and …

Australia in coronavirus panic as expert says 100,000 could die
4 years, 10 months ago

Australia in coronavirus panic as expert says 100,000 could die

Daily Mail  

Coronavirus panic is intensifying across Australia with supermarket shelves being stripped bare as further cases are confirmed and an expert issued a terrifying warning nearly 100,000 locals could die if the crisis deepens. Scroll down for video A new case in Victoria on Wednesday brought the number of infected in Australia to 41 'It's like the world is coming to …

Face masks, hand sanitizer and toilet paper: Coronavirus panic shopping hits American stores
4 years, 10 months ago

Face masks, hand sanitizer and toilet paper: Coronavirus panic shopping hits American stores

CNN  

New York CNN Business — Americans across the country are stocking up on hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, toilet paper and other products to prepare for the spread of coronavirus. “It does feel like there is a little bit of panic buying going on,” said Doug Baker, vice president of industry relations at trade group Food Marketing Institute. “We would expect …

Coronavirus panic buying increase at Australian stores - toilet paper, bottled water first to go
4 years, 10 months ago

Coronavirus panic buying increase at Australian stores - toilet paper, bottled water first to go

Daily Mail  

Major supermarkets throughout Australia are running out of stock as customers panic buy supplies amid a potential coronavirus outbreak. The aisles in Coles in Claremont, Perth were unusually empty on Saturday as shoppers stockpiled the essentials One shopper was shocked to realise her local supermarket in Hornsby, Sydney, was entirely sold out of pasta A Costco in Casula, Sydney, sold …

FOOD AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS TO STOCKPILE IN A PANDEMIC
4 years, 10 months ago

FOOD AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS TO STOCKPILE IN A PANDEMIC

Daily Mail  

Source: Virology Down Under by University of Queensland virologists Dr Ian Mackay and Dr Katherine Arden Read articles that feature this panel From dried foods to toilet paper and drinking water - expert lists the items you need to stock up on before coronavirus becomes a global. Coronavirus panic buying at Coles sees shoppers clear the shelves of bottled water …

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