#panic-buying

#panic-buying

Blaming panic buyers tends to obscure what's really going on. During the lockdowns, bulk buying was framed as irrational, antisocial and immoral. Individual shoppers were blamed for creating disorder and chaos through panicked, frenetic behaviour.

When I spoke with emergency management officials last year, they all mentioned the same frustrating scenario. People ignore storm warnings until the precipitation starts falling, then suddenly everyone rushes out at once. The roads become congested with anxious drivers, accidents spike, and stores run out of essentials just when people need them most. But here's what really gets meteorologists worked up about this pattern. Modern weather forecasting has become incredibly accurate, especially for major winter storms.

If America enters a recession, depressed demand might lead to some nice markdowns, which you might take advantage of if you're not financially preoccupied.