Is it actually selfish to stock pile?

[Orange89]

Now I haven’t gone crazy with the whole loo roll situation (I currently only have 2 rolls left) and have been doing my usual shops (average of 3 small shops a week) but it’s safe to say I’m focusing my food on long life semi-healthy foods I can store in the cupboard space we have. It’s a little more than usual but nothing crazy. All I’m hearing is stockpiling is a stupid move but surely and obviously more people are doing this than letting on as the shops are emptying. But surely this is purely practical move? I know this could face backlash from people saying some people can’t afford to stockpile (I can’t really either) but I’m talking high calorie, cheap alternatives instead of the fresh foods they’d normally buy. Or that demand can’t be met but I bet there’s another baked beans / rice / powdered custard etc to last a couple months... Just in case

I have a one year old with a fever. Couldn't get calpol ANYWHERE today. Would like to thank all the stockpilers for that.

@StepAwayFromGoogle

Was in a similar situation this week with my sick toddler. Really fucking irritating and upsetting.

@namechangetheworld

I think this is just perfectly honest tbh. I have only got what I feel I may need if we were to ration for my 2yr old. I like to think I do my bit by getting stuff like Lentils which is in less demand than pasta (atm!). I also will help out the elderly , including my parents with underlying health issues of I possibly can. Obviously no one knows where we’ll be in a couple of weeks time but indications are there, I like to think most people have compassion and will help others where possible but to do that we need to know our nearest and dearest are also ok.

When this is all over and everything returns to normal, will any of you change your behaviour and start keeping a few more bits in?
Extra bottle of calpol, few tins and packets, keep your freezer full?
Or when the next crisis looms, will it hit you as hard and unexpectedly?

@namechangetheworld fantastic, you dont give a damn, you've made this perfectly clear. own it dont make validations for it though. nothing to do with your kids. this is you joining the rest of the lemmings because you see everyone else doing it.

I for one, cannot get that 80 year old woman out of my head from this morning and couldnt imagine being so self entitled as to admit if I could afford to and had the space I would happily stock pile.

I also had trouble with calpol and my daughter has her 4 month jabs this week. luckily my step dad managed to find some in savers. maybe try places like that tomorrow or if working see if anyone else can. hopefully they wont have been as raised as the main supermarkets x

@AllPointsNorth nah probably not because I'm not a self entitled arsehole

raided*

@cherrylovex3
I never said I don't give a damn, that's nonsense. I said I am prioritising my own children being fed and kept healthy, and completely understand why others are doing the same. And it's everything to do with my children - I'm certainly not stocking up on extra baby formula for myself!

Then let’s hope your daughter doesn’t need meds next time round cherrylove, if you see forward planning as being an arse.
My mum was like you; empty cupboards and no first aid kit. Always reactive because every problem was an unexpected disaster.

Saw this on FB today and though tit was interesting. Just another perspective:

"As social media becomes obsessed with empty supermarket shelves and blames stupid people for 'panic-buying' we would do well to educate ourselves to the fact that UK retail outlets operate a "just-in-time" model of distribution.

No supermarket holds more than a few days supply of a product. Any person, faced with the possibility of having to self-isolate, would sensibly buy two or three times as much as they normally might. It doesn't take long to clear the shelves.

Of course there are idiots fighting over toilet roll, there are idiots in abundance. But to claim that empty shelves are solely a result of 'panic-buying' is simplistic and ignores systemic issues in our food/grocery distribution chains. It also, conveniently, absolves major supermarkets of having to radically change their distribution systems in times of crisis."

We haven't done any stocking up at all as we can't afford it. We may come to regret this if we end up having to self-isolate. Admittedly there was also an element of stubbornness involved as I was disgusted at some of the more extreme shelf clearing behaviour and wanted to distance myself from it. But I can also see that if you think it's likely that you will have to stay at home, no slots are available for home delivery, and you can't rely on outside help, buying in extra seems like a proportionate response.

@namechangetheworld have you read anything you've written? in particular about the elderly....

@AllPointsNorth theres the point though isnt there!? if people only took what they needed I wouldnt have to ever worry about not being able to get any!
I'm not interested even slightly at the comments from people trying to explain or validate such selfish behaviour. all lost the plot

@AllPointsNorth
This is what baffles me. There are so many people condemning the 'stockpilers' for being terrible human beings and harping on about how they would never dream of doing something so awful, yet in the same breath are complaining about not being able to pick up their childrens medicine and formula. Stockpiling IS selfish. In times like these, we all need to be a little selfish to take care of the ones we love.
I'll be picking up an extra Calpol with the shopping tomorrow. Shoot me.

@Namechangeforthegamechange good luck finding some hun!

ignores systemic issues in our food/grocery distribution chains

The alternative of a just in time supply chain being... what? Supermarkets holding much more stock than they currently do? It costs money to store stock. Where do you think they would recoup their losses? By increasing their prices, of course... food prices are already too high for many in the UK.
Stocks get replenished constantly and yet the shelves are constantly empty... do the math and you end up with the logical answer that there are stupid people panic buying and leaving the shelves empty for everyone else.

your point makes no sense......it is selfish for the exact reason you just said ....because then others like myself struggle to find any when we actually need it. do you get a kick out of being a moron?

They should just allow stores to increase the prices of high demand goods until shelves are full again.

Problem solved.

namechangetheworld: shoot me.

Ah, now I understand why people are panic buying guns in Los Angeles, I did wonder why and thought they might be planning to eat them.

I don't understand all the people who say we have to look after the vulnerable who may die if they catch the virus but then panic buy all the basic necessities that more deprived families rely on being able to buy every week or gain from food banks. Is there a hierarchy to vulnerability!

Selfish.

But also human nature.

It's not a new thing. Rationing happened in the past for the same reason.

It also, conveniently, absolves major supermarkets of having to radically change their distribution systems in times of crisis

And as for this - just how quickly do you think these supermarkets would be able to locate suitable warehousing, cost suitable warehousing, go through the legal and logistical issues of renting this space AND THEN using it to store the additional food they need in order to keep the shelves stocked for when these once-in-a-couple-of-decades events actually happen?

You are not making sense to me cherrylove. I have 8 packs of paracetamol in my stores, but I last bought a pack in January.
How is my stockpile depriving those scrabbling around now?

noooo. please dont pick up an 'extra' calpol unless you need it for gods sake, some people actually need it!

I work for a supermarket chain. Where do you think we'd store all the 'just in case' extra items?! We haven't got warehouse space just sitting around empty waiting to be used. The best thing we could do, which I imagine will be done next time, is to limit items per person. It won't solve people shopping around to stockpile but it will at least make it more difficult.

Funny enough someone has put on our local Facebook page that they have 6 containers of baby milk bought today they don't need offering to sell it when it should have been left in the shop for the people that need it to get . Selfish beyond belief

just put the prices up. 10 quid for 9 bog rolls. 2 quid for a 500g packet of pasta. 2 quid a tin of chopped tomatos etc.