QUESTION: With the shortage in toilet paper, hand soap, medication and hand sanitizer, are you nervous that other necessary items might soon disappear from the store shelves?
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QUESTION: With the shortage in toilet paper, hand soap, medication and hand sanitizer, are you nervous that other necessary items might soon disappear from the store shelves?
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© Copyright 2023 Claycord News & Talk
Here’s the problem – too many people are not taking this threat seriously enough…while too many others are losing their damn minds. Let’s get to the middle. Don’t hoard supplies. Wash your hands. Limit your outings. Do not go out if you’re feeling sick at all. Let’s all calm down, be smart, and help each other
I agree 100%.I said basically the same thing to most people I have spoken to recently.
Thank you Steve. You nailed it. On my last trip to Costco I bought one pack of TP, which was what we needed. I didn’t hoard. There were no limits at the time. I now figure when we run out we will be in big trouble because I refuse to spend hours in line for TP. I have a family to take care of, a job and an aging parent to worry about. When I see how people are acting and clearing more supplies from the shelves then they will need it really makes me doubt the goodness in anyone. I had a couple of nice interactions with folks while just trying to do some basic shopping today, but most were just aggravating.
Perfectly said.
Don’t go out in a crowd even if you’re feeling okay.Someone in that crowd, or you, may be infected and spreading the virus. You don’t know you have it until you have it, we need to act as if everyone has it. Mitigation is the strongest tool we have now to isolate the virus and end this crazy time.
I wish stores would put a limit on tp so the rest of us can buy a package!
They are all in a daze and not thinking straight.
Yesterday at Sam’s club and today at Safeway they were limiting certain items. They may have enacted the restrictions a little late but they are indeed starting to limit what the hoarders can buy.
I won’t say the thought doesn’t cross my mind at times, but we don’t have an actual shortage of goods as far as I can tell, just a problem getting it in the stores and on the shelves. At this point we’ve probably hit peak hoarding… the people who panicked feel safe with their trove and the rest of us can go by to buying normally probably in the next week or 2
@anonamel ~
Yep,….in about 2 weeks or so the hoarding should calm down.
That’s exactly what I was hoping for as well. Let all the nuts and panic stricken people get their fill, and the rest of us normal folks can go about our business. We had TP and hand sanitizer for normal use, and didn’t get more during our Costco trip two weeks ago, but now, I start to wonder if I can even find any! But again, not super worried as I’m hoping it calms down by the time I really need to restock.
Couldn’t agree with you more. Once all the people freaking out over this get what they “need”, it’ll die down. I’m good for a week or more with what I have on hand. Luckily I had a case of TP delivered from Amazon a few days before the madness started that will last me 6 months or more. I’d be almost out right now if it wasn’t for that. lol
My bigger worries are my pets as I have lizards and snakes. I was getting to the point where I was about 2 weeks out from needing to buy food for them, but went ahead and did it now in case the suppliers I get stuff from decide to shut down. Food for the lizards is good for a few months, rats for the snakes will hold for close to a year. Luckily they all can go for extended amounts of time without food.
My g/f has a good size flock of chickens, turkeys and guinea fowl so we’ll be buying some extra feed for them from the local feed store. It’s a small mom and pop type place so no telling if they may decide to shut down. We should be good if we just double up on what we normally get as it does last for awhile.
I’m more worried about the supply of oddball things that come from small suppliers for my reptiles than I am about stuff I may need. The grocery shelves will be restocked soon enough once all the panicky people feel good about their stash.
I have been thinking the same way and I hope this will be true. It is insane how much people are panicking. I mean if you’re going to get the virus your going to get the virus whether you hoard buy or not. Bottom line, it’s in gods hands.
Water. How can we survive on just tap water. For those hoarders out there; shame on you; examine your heart and brain.
It’s not hard to just use tapwater. I did it until I met my ex decades ago. It doesn’t taste great, but you get used to it after a while. I use it to make tea. Not a big deal. 🙂 The best part, is that it’s free, if you’re a renter. 🙂
You’ll have tap water as long as you have electricity. Think about it.
Most bottled water comes from the same source as your tap water. Water is water. They dont add nutrients to your bottled water. This is why people cant find bottled water because of bs thinking like this.
Exactly! Tap water is perfectly fine. I don’t get the TP hoarding. Has NOTHING to do w the virus. Shame on the hoarders of any product. Get what you need for a week or so. If possibly infected people can’t get protective products, it’ll be YOUR fault.
@ Oldlady
Water isn’t free, the cost of it is just included in your rent.
I imagine you’d be real upset if you owned a home and found out how much things actually cost.
there is no such thing as “new” water. the planet earth has only so much water, no new water is infused from an outside source. it evaporates / rains / goes into the earth / we drink it / flush it down the sewer/ filter it / drink it again……. and on and on. now the cycle may take awhile in some scenarios but eventually we are all drinking toilet water as it rains down on us. keep buying that bottled water. 🙂
Stores are already out of the basics. People are panicking and hoarding which means others will go without. Crazy! Everybody in the entire Bay Area had enough toilet paper and water and sanitizer to meet their daily needs before the big virus scare but now evidently they feel the need to stock up and hoard. This does not bode well for what will happen in the future when the chit really hits the fan. Imagine this same type of panic shopping and hoarding after a big earthquake but now the stores can’t restock because of destroyed roads. Go on Amazon and try to find any of the items mentioned earlier. Good luck! You can’t even buy soup online anymore. Hope everyone knows how to hunt!
Because I despise shopping so much, I only shop for groceries once a month, so I will always have more than a months worth of stuff at home. When I go shopping again next month, I’m hoping the shelves will be restocked by then. Another thing, I think the hysteria we’re seeing in the panic shopping will soon run it’s course and everybody will relax again.
As soon as something big happens like another mass shooting, the media will jump all over it and the coronavirus scare will start to simmer down.
The hoarding is made worse by the people buying out everything they can find so they can resell it online at a massive price increase to people who can no longer find those things in the store. Like the guy in Tennessee who went around to all the neighboring communities and even across state lines to buy out every hand sanitizer he could find and now has eighteen thousand units he can’t sell because Amazon kicked him off for price gouging (there’s a story in the NY Times today if you’re looking for more info on it). I can’t help but wonder how much that has fueled the shortages here as well.
Those are the things I’m nervous about. The panic buying for their own use is going to calm down in a few days and the stores will get new shipments. The ones clearing it out to resell will not stop as long as they can make a buck creating scarcity.
That guy is probably selling on ebay now.
Amazon stopped him from selling…he is now stuck with something like 17,000 bottles of hand santiizer.
I can’t say enough bad about people who hoard. We do not have shortages and you are keeping a fellow citizen from getting normal supplies that are needed for the week while you store up for months. You are sick people.
They are the same people that keep reproducing but cannot afford the kids and burden society for life….
So now a few have lost their sense of humors and are getting defensive?
The thing I’m more concerned about is the effect on the supply chain. Retail store chain warehousing is focused on just in time delivery. It’s expensive for a business to carry stock, and the debt associated with it, for any amount of time. So they order and purchase stock appropriate for what they can distribute and sell in a short time cycle. They also want to avoid stocking perishables and holding them away from retail shelves for any longer than necessary.
The current panic and hoarding behavior will cause disruption in this cycle. Stores will sell out once or twice, then the warehouses will be empty and it will take some time to replenish. This might cause more panic among the folks that are knee jerk responding instead of reasonably responding to circumstances.
Hold on to your hats folks, this could be a bumpy ride for a while.
I don’t know, trying to take one down at a time. What I know is that I will try as much as I can to not buy Chinese made products and perhaps their government should give money to affected countries.
Hoarders should be embarrassed to stand in line and advertise their greediness and stupidity.
The problem with stupid people is, they are too stupid to realize how stupid they are, and they are not embarrassed because they think they are being smart.
I’m not one to be a hoarder but my house isn’t going to have to worry about not being able to get most of those XYZ items people get when panic hits just because I live in a house that stays well supplied. Already had enough thing like toilet paper before this started.
Honestly, I think you can make things worse for yourself in the long-run going crazy. Don’t take more than you need and then there will be enough for every one to get through this and then they won’t freak out and hoard all of something that you need in return. Just stay calm and stay responsible.
you already took too much 🙁
Dear “Aunt Barbara” being stocked up or prepared for a disaster by having a few extras on hand isn’t a crime. We are actually supposed to have emergency supplies on hand for an emergency. If more people had some extra canned food and some bottled water on hand there would be less panic buying. Go blame those folks who don’t believe in being prepared for disasters for the panic buying instead of people who keep a well stocked pantry or only shop once a month.
@aunt barbara, you should prep in the good times so you don’t have to panic in the hard times.
@Mac N Cheese & @FBR – You are both correct! It’s the folks who aren’t prepared already who are causing the panic and the outages of items because they are now trying to buy everything in sight. 🙁 I was trying to become more of a ‘minimalist’ and not buy back-ups of items we use every day but now I’m rethinking that idea. 🙂
Are those panic buying, viewers of liberal media and daily users of social media ? There in is likely cause for their panic.
Could see a need for additional toilet paper if there were digestive – intestinal illness brought on by contaminated vegetables.
Have to wonder if reusable bags for groceries help to spread illness.
That has been my concern since we started this reusable bag phase. Grocery stores should go back to free bags and people should be responsible and recycle them.
They really need to put a limit on items right now until we go through this. There’s enough for everyone, but either through those hording or those looking to buy up all stock and re-sell at a profit are hurting everyone else.
I hate to say this, but we’re not through the worst of it yet. And on top of that, I fully believe we’re headed toward a mass self quarantine. Look at what’s happening in other countries.
People who were always ones to buying some extra aren’t the problem, they aren’t buying right now I would bet. It’s these people who have a newfound passion for buying out the entire stock of an item on the shelf. I don’t know if they are buying it for themselves or what… but I’m a family of 7 and don’t have the space to stockpile months worth of items, so at times… I do worry about supply chain disruptions that will leave my family without essentials. I don’t have any hand sanitizer, and just ran out of alcohol wipes to use when I give my dog insulin, it does affect me in a tangible way when I can’t get the things I normally have around and are usually easy to find.
THESE PEOPLE NEED TO SHUT OFF THEIR TV.
Wait until another month when these stores have exhausted the back stock from their distribution centers.
There’s no ships at the ports. No containers, No trucks, No supplies = Empty shelves.
On a positive note; Retailers have made up for both 2019 & 2020 Holiday seasons.
Just at 99 Ranch … Rice shelves were empty.
They have already run out of necessary items. I tried to buy TP today at Safeway and there is none. I am so disgusted at the people hoarding.
Instead of getting mad at people who are scared by the media acting like we are dealing with the Bubonic plague instead of a very serious but not deadly for most of us virus, maybe you should consider being stocked up for a disaster the way we all should be in case of an earthquake. It’s your own fault for not being prepared.
No Mac n cheese it is not his fault…there is a difference between being stocked up vs being pigs which is what most people are in this crisis.
Rod – it is most certainly his fault for not having emergency supplies already on hand. If it’s not his fault then whose fault would it be? While I’m sure there have been a few bad apples what I have mostly seen over two weekends is people who aren’t properly prepared trying to get enough supplies to last them several weeks in case they are sick and self isolating. I’d hardly call that being pigs.
I am not woried they will run out – I am worried about the hostile, desperate people who think they are competeing to survive. I was in Walmart today…there is nothing on the shelves – after looking at the lines, I dumped the cart & left. I could not even out get of the store. People were hostile & swearing. I don’t need big box.Traders Joes & Grocery Outlet are fine for us…until this frenzy is over. If I am stuck at home for 3 weeks with a teenager, I just need some wine!
Second the wine comment Deanne!
TP? Just buy Venezuelan currency…or use the NYT
@Martin You da man!!!
You can always go to CVS. Free TP with every purchase.
I work for Cigna Healthcare…we are working out of our homes until further notice. My daughter goes to Contra Costa School of Perfoming Arts – school closed until Spring Break – back in school on April 13th…..ugh.
? At least you can work from home. Not everyone is so fortunate. BTW what does your griping have to do with grocery hoarding?
I fear for the future of my kids and grandkids. I think these happenings will be more frequent in the future due to world travel and commerce, untrustworthy foreign and domestic politicians and governments.
Their lives will certainly be different than ours. The biggest difference is that information they can’t rely on is transmitted 24/7. As such it will be harder for them to make good decisions.
For years some family and friends thought I was nuts for stocking my house with a complete disaster plan. I have always shopped out of my disaster supplies and then replenish them. Now that the crazies are panic buying I don’t have to, I have ALL the basics in household goods and food for at least a 10 week run, longer if I use them conservatively. Thankful I don’t have to fight for the last product on the shelf.
Me too. I’m not going to be made to feel guilty by a bunch of people too stupid to stock up for a disaster. I can’t help but think that most of the panic shopping is being done by folks who don’t realize it’s a necessity to have some canned soup and bottled water on hand.
Costco finally did put a limit on toilet paper, but the limit is 5. That’s hardly a “limit.” After hearing about sellers getting kicked off Amazon, ebay, etc. for price gouging, I’m now convinced that a lot of these hoarders are selling online or at a flea market. Price gouging greed. I’m glad Amazon kicked the one greedy guy off.
I bought a 30 lb bag of rice from amazon for $15 and a few cans of beans just in case. I can just eat rice and beans for next few months if needed, no big deal. I think people are panicking too much. Especially the toilet paper craze. I dont get it. and water? tap water + filter works just fine… do some people really refuse to drink tap water? 😀
After eating all those beans, you will be needing more toilet paper.
Big stores carry exactly what they need to based on average sales. When I was in retail management, I had over 10000 different SKUs in my department alone. There was no way anyone could manually inventory and order that many items.
The solution is, the store system keeps track of the sales of each product, as well as the lead time. It then uses that data to order automatically. What does this mean? If it takes three days to get a new order in, then the store carries three days worth of sales of that SKU.
Normally this works very well and is what allows stores to stock so many different items. The problem happens when, like this, sales for SKUs far exceed average. It will balance out when sales return to average. It’s like a rubber band or a pendulum, it’ll go back and forth a couple times before settling at an equilibrium again.
It’s a shame. Some of us have infants and people are taking all of the baby wipes and gallons of water. People need to stop thinking for themselves and think of others
Is there some reason your baby can’t drink tap water?
baby wipes and bottled water are a convenience, not a necessity.
Juliet boil your water if you feel it necessary to do so. You can also do what people do in times of disaster and what they did before they made baby wipes. Use some rags, make sure you keep them separate from your other laundry and wash them with hot water and bleach. Just like they use to do with cloth diapers. Next time have the items you find necessary on hand BEFORE there’s a disaster. Like we’re all supposed to do. Did it ever occur to you that it may not be people buying a cart full of wipes and 20 gallons of water, rather just some scared parents buying enough wipes and water for two weeks?
Baby wipes are a better buy than adult wipes. You get more per package for less money.
Up until the time the John Muir and CDC medical authorities advised that it might be made mandatory for those over the age of 60 to self-quarantine, I was not worried about things like toilet paper, canned soup, etc.. But now I need to stock enough at home that I will be able to comply with such mandatory regs, should they come. The amount I have now is what is recommended ALL of us in this area have in case of earthquake or other natural disaster…. except for this pandemic, we do not need to worry about ruptured water lines, so I do not have extra bottled water on hand. We like tap water just fine.
So yes, I did buy certain items in greater quantity than usual, but for a reason which is not synonymous with “hoarding”.
That’s completely fine and understandable. The 20-somethings and 50- somethings that don’t have any underlying illness that would make them susceptible to COVID19 are the problem hoarders.
If I promise not to buy toilet paper, hand sanitizer, rice, or beans; can I cut ahead of the line?
🙂
Yes correct and I beg your pardon.
Really bugged by all the accusations of hoarding. I was at the store last weekend and this weekend and I didn’t see anyone buying a cart full of any one item in particular. Sure some people are being jerks but most people are scared and trying to buy a couple of weeks worth of groceries instead of just the typical one weeks worth. That’s not hoarding folks. That’s called being prepared. If more of you complainers who don’t believe in keeping disaster supplies on hand before a disaster strikes would stop buying everything up now there wouldn’t be a problem.
@mac n cheese: being prepared is one thing, however being a jack#ss and rolling through the store with three or four packs of toilet paper is another. We’re also prepared but I make it an effort not to post a self righteous point towards people who are not.
East Bay Native how funny you call me self righteous because I’m offended by other people accusing people of hoarding when really what they’re pissed off about is their own lack of preparation. I think it’s ignorant to assume that everyone out there is buying 20 packs of TP instead of realizing most people are stocking up for two weeks. Again if more people would prepare for disasters before they happen then there wouldn’t be so much panic buying. The only self righteous people I see in this thread are the people complaining about others stocking up on groceries while they themselves are trying to do the same thing.
This crisis has brought out the worst in people. Rude and inconsiderate humans continue to hoard cases of toilet paper without consideration for anyone else. Hey dummies do you really need that much which will last you for the next six months? Oink, Oink
Rod – Right now people are scared and while there are a few bad people being jerks most of the people shopping are just trying to stock up for a few weeks because they typically only shop for a week at a time. The only people I see being selfish are the people who also don’t find it necessary to stock up AHEAD of a disaster being pissed off at people doing exactly what they’re trying to do right now. Buy enough supplies to be stocked up for several weeks. Here in earthquake country we should all have emergency supplies already on hand in case of a disaster.
Can someone please tell me how much a person saves by shopping at Costco?
I am an early morning shopper so Costco wouldn’t work for me. But I would like to know how much a year a couple or single person saves.
And it is $50 a year to join, correct?
I use to shop at Costco, but haven’t in years, the stores are huge, and lot’s of stuff comes in quantizes, and since I live and alone and don’t do much entertaining anymore, it does not make sense for me. However, their prices are really good, and you can get everything there, fresh and frozen food, vitamins, books, wine, etc. Even with the $50.00 membership fee you most likely would save money.
It may not be a good option for everyone, say a single person, or you don’t have a huge refrigerator or freezer and/or extra space to store stuff that sure, you’ll use eventually, but not anytime soon. For example, not too many people want ten years worth of pickle relish in the fridge. When they first opened in Martinez my mom brought me in, we were a family of 3 needing lots of diapers, and the membership was $15.00 and totally worth it. Even though she drove past every day she dropped out after the first year, it wasn’t a good option for her.
I paid $60 for a basic membership. Costco does have some good deals. However, unless you have a family or good amount of storage, you can find similar deals at Walmart or Winco. I do have to say having access to Costco gasoline is nice.
I live near Kirker Pass so hopping over the hill to the Pittsburg store is just as quick as pushing through lights and traffic to the Concord store, and it’s less crowded with better parking. Quality merchandise is a safe bet. Winco, Home Depot, and Walmart are also close by.
Only people panicking are the ones who don’t wash their hands.
I thought we were out of TP a couple of weeks ago when I last went to Costco, so I bought it. When an additional package that somebody misplaced😬 turned up after I got home I was actually teed off! I’m sure happy my grandson’s birthday party was last weekend. Lots of people came, it was a lot of fun, and no one’s sick yet, but I’m going to knock for the wood spirit right now😜.
“Wood Spirit” ??????????? The hell is that ????????
Did you ever hear anyone say “knock on wood”? It’s an old Celtic practice to let a tree spirit know you could use a blessing or a bit of assistance.
I’d never heard that one before. Love it.
Glad you educated us on that one, Silva! I’ve just always you knocked on wood because it “brought good luck”….. love the aspect of asking the tree spirit for protection.
Thank you for enlightening me. I appreciate it. 😊
Interesting nugget, Silva – thanks!
I’m dusting off the family bread recipes.
I will spend the day baking bread.
I will share with my neighbors.
I’ll be right over!
I already made sourdough cranberry walnut bread yesterday but it never lasts long.
I’m surprised that people weren’t stocked up anyway given the mandatory power blackouts. Instead there was a run on power generators.
If restaurants close it will put more stress on grocery stores as people will have to cook at home.
Stores are restocking. There was toilet paper this morning at both Luckys– that went quickly and at Safeway in Walnut Creek. Someone told me that Safeway in Clayton had some yesterday afternoon.
Lines are longer now. Stores are busier in the morning, which unfortunately is probably the best time to go.
We’re seeing some kinks in just in time delivery, but stores and manufacturers are stepping up.
I do suspect if restaurants temporarily close, we will see the stores become even worse.
I kind of wish we would self quarantine already just to get over this situation. It’s not going to be pretty.
This is when drive thru comes in really handy. Bank of the West branches all used to have them.
Years ago, I read a book called, “The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need.” Basically, it is based on the theory than nothing ever gets cheaper. So, the more of something you buy now (the things you know you’ll need and have to purchase later on), the more money you will save on the purchase in the long run … like toilet paper, for example. They recommended you stock up on items in this category and store them under your bed, if necessary. There were some other similar recommendations, but that one stuck with me.
I believe you can see the application of this theory in demonstrated in the Costco business model. I had never see packages of toilet paper that large anywhere else until the first time I saw them at Costco. Now most stores have larger packages. It is an idea that caught on and it makes sense, actually. These individuals may not be “hoarding.” They might simply be “investing” in something that won’t get any cheaper over time.
Investing?
Right. I believe that is what those two brothers in Tennessee did.
I will stick to investing in Apple stock. 🙂
Speaking of Apple, my old Macintosh SE purchased in the eighties cost more than a new faster iMac or MacBook Pro.
Not going to buy hoards of toilet paper, crappy idea.
Helplessness over a threatening situation ends up manifesting as trying to take action over a situation where at least some control is possible:
https://www.kron4.com/news/why-the-rush-on-toilet-paper-one-economist-believes-he-knows/
It’s a sort of emotional displacement.
This virus thing doesn’t have me scared at all.
Neither does the hoarding. It is sad that a great deal of those supplies and foods will eventually be discarded for expirations and such.
What scares me is the inevitable increase in taxes, costs of goods, and political overreach that will not only hinder future business strength but also curtail individual buying power and further increase government oversite in every aspect of our individual lives.
There will be no good emerging from this overblown health emergency.
How about the first two hours of the day stores only let in people 65 and over since they restocked and disinfected the place.
There’s an old saying: “You can lead a horse to water, but…….”.
You people had so many opportunities. Earthquakes, Storms, Fires, Power outages. I’ve posted many times to all of your mocking and scorn replies.
Up until 3 months ago, Walmart even had 40lbs of rice on blowout sale for under $40 shipped to your door.
Time to get Woke.
Exactly! Now they’re pissed off at the other ill prepared folks out there doing exactly what they are doing. Doesn’t make any sense.
Get woke, or did you mean wake up? Two different meanings in today’s society.
Ah, the nostalgia of the empty shelves, reminds me of growing up in socialist Romania