Panic buying

[springyzone]

I was just reading a Coles report about their latest financial year and they mentioned the effects of Covid, panic buying etc and how they expect that to settle down more by 2022.

Now, I am in Melbourne, lockdown capital of Australia (although Sydney is catching up).

Here are my experiences.

March 2020. 1st round of lockdown. Shocking. Toilet paper was off the shelves for 5 weeks, unless you were in the right place at the right time. Being a senior, I was later able to pop in at 7am but even that didn't guarantee products on shelves.

Other things in short supply were mince, pasta, rice, pasta sauce, even cooking oil took a hit.

Second lockdown (the really long one) About mid 2020 to Nov: Initial panic buying but it settled down almost immediately. Never got to anything like the first time. I think media didn't harp on it as much so didn't set everyone off.

6th lockdown (now, Aug 2021). Not even a ripple as far as affecting buying habits. I guess most people know that the goods will still be there, there is no need to overbuy, although I guess most people have a spare pack of toilet rolls stashed away, they don't live as close to the edge as they once might have.😁

So.. what is the experience like for those in other states? Are they still having the panic buying each time a new lockdown starts?

[domino-710]

Nics - I guess there is more than a slight difference in panic buying & stocking up.

Given the lockdowns - the idea is to shop - essentially - as little as possible.

I can understand a ' stock up ' on toot paper - who knows how many in the family - nappies - well - 10 changes a day - with perhaps more than 1 wearing nappies - OK - buy bulk.

Here - the carts are full - but so are the shelves.

Food section - not noticed anything missing. 

[nicnacs_4u]

I agree with what you have said but at the time I don`t think their circumstances had anything to do with the amount of things they were buying. I was born here and have had a very fortunate life so if you took my comment the wrong way I am indeed sorry.Sometimes you can forget how lucky we are.

[domino-710]

Nics - the 50's - and all everyone went through - has nothing to to with today.

There were shortages - all experienced shortages - no matter your means - it took at least 5 years post WW2 - to actually get rid of rationing - for all. 

There was perhaps - a pair or 2 - silk stockings on the horizon - but food - necessities - no.

This is 2021 - some should really catch up - it's not a matter of blaardy bent nails in one's shed.

[chameleon54]

Agreed at the moment its not a case of Blaardy bent nails in the shed, but it might come to that. History shows that economic depressions have a habit of coming around every one hundred years or so. It takes that long for people to forget. We have all been extremely fortunate to live in very settled and prosperous times in Australia, but the only certainty is it wont last for ever. 

Global economies where borrowed to the hilt before COVID and the mass printing of money to pump up economies on a scale never seen before will have to have repercussions down the track. We are already seeing this in rapidly rising house prices and global shortages of steel, building materials, motor vehicles, heavy equipment used in manufacturing,  agricultural food supplies ( world grain stocks are at very low levels and prices went up nearly 10% only last week ) and even the humble mobile phone.

If you dont understand that COVID could potentially be the trigger for the next global recession / depression, you are living in self absorbed La La land.

[countessalmirena]

All right; I am saying here and now that I will never never never never never use bent nails in place of toilet paper!

I hate to bring this up, but there are terrors which geese have seen but I don’t think ostriches have… in terms of toilet use. Hilariously, weirdly, yet truly…

What use is a goose (QI YouTube clip)