Remember those long lines and bare shelves?
The hoarding began slowly in spring as shoppers snapped up masks and hand sanitizer. But once Americans realized the government mandated lock-downs were serious, they emptied stores of just about everything, from toilet paper to canned soup.
With the media alarming us daily with COVID-19 cases this fall, panic buying could return as worries of a second lockdown spread. Retailers say they’re already seeing the signs and are hopeful they’ll be ready.
Here’s what stores are doing to prepare for a media panicked”second wave” and what you should do, too.
Even when people aren’t panicking and picking the shelves clean, the way we eat and shop has changed significantly.
Adults and children are spending much more time at home, preparing their own meals. The average weekly grocery bill is now $190, up 17% from pre-pandemic levels, according to a September survey from LendingTree. That’s why whenever you shop, ensure you’re earning cash back for your purchases.
Grocery bills have jumped even though shoppers are taking fewer trips; they’re simply stuffing their carts on the few occasions when they venture out.
If it felt like you could never find paper products, the data backs that up. Nearly half of survey respondents said they spend more on items like toilet paper and paper towels compared to last year.
Other big spending increases could provide clues to some of the shortages we can expect to see this winter. Following paper products, the LendingTree survey found that fresh produce, frozen food and canned goods saw the biggest jump in demand when the lockdowns hit.
Shoppers and retailers are reporting that certain items are already running low, including liquid hand soap, disinfecting wipes and canning jars (especially lids). Some products have been difficult to find ever since the first lockdown was initiated.
But a wintery “second wave” could trigger new shortages, as Americans are forced to spend even more time indoors. In a panel discussion with doctors from Harvard Medical School in September, White House adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said Americans should prepare to “hunker down to get through this fall and winter.”
Beyond grocery goods, you can expect to see shortages of:
- Exercise equipment: When gyms closed, it wasn’t easy to pick up items like free weights — and that was when pleasant temperatures allowed people to get outside.
- Outdoor gear: Speaking of getting outside, expect a run on gloves, hats and any items that allow people to exercise outdoors.
- Home appliances: It’s a perfect storm: an increase in home reno projects, lack of supply from store closures, COVID-19 protocols at manufacturing facilities and the usual holiday shopping could combine to create shortages on appliances big and small.
If you’re planning to avoid stores and are doing most of your shopping online, install a free browser extension for Chrome that will automatically find you deals and coupon codes.
How stores are preparing
“Grocery stores and food retailers are stockpiling products to prepare for another lockdown” said Edward McLaughlin, a professor of food industry management at Cornell University, in September.
Typically, stores make use of demand forecasting, triggering an order to the supplier at the last minute, just before the store stock is depleted, McLaughlin said. But companies were caught off guard when customers began hoarding, and inventory levels were too low to match huge spikes in demand.
“Retailers have learned key lessons from the pandemic,” added McLaughlin. “Shoppers will be loyal even if you don’t have the fancy extras (skinned, boned, lime-marinated chicken thighs) as long as you have the basics (chicken breasts).”
Instead of responding to demand, companies are now sending paper products, pasta, beans and holiday items to stores with no need for an order.
Retailers will likely put a limit on high-demand items early, so you may see fewer people walk away with carts full of toilet paper.
That said, it could be prudent to stock up on some specialty items, as stores focus on keeping an ample
If you do decide to make a few big grocery hauls, be sure to keep an eye out for deals and rewards so you don’t put an oversized dent in your savings during the holidays.
A free app will let you earn rewards just by snapping a photo of your receipt.
Points will automatically be added to your account, and when you’ve collected enough points, you can exchange them for gift cards from your favorite stores and brands.
That should take the sting out of what will be an extra challenging holiday shopping season.
