AIBU to genuinely not understand why people are stockpiling/ panic buying

[mumof2exhausted]

I am genuinely curious as to why people are doing this. Are people worried that shops are going to run out because of supply issues or is it because people think they may have to self isolate for couple of weeks. I just don’t get the reasoning behind it. Food wise we tend to cook fresh from scratch - a friend who is a consultant at hospital has done some batch cooking and froze for when she does get covid 19 which will happen and she’s feeling unwell and has to self isolate but buying hundreds of toilet rolls. Am genuinely confused.

I haven't stockpiled but it isn't hard to see why people have with Italy as an example of what may come.

Everyday activity will be significantly reduced, many people have underlying health problems and want to get stocked up before the virus is more widespread.

I would ask for this to be moved to the Corona board, a few posters get their knickers in a knot if it's discussed on aibu.

I think its helps to feel you gave some control in a very uncertain situation.

Also it makes sense if you have to self isolate to have some essentials at home until you can get an online delivery.

Worst case, the whole country goes into lockdown, it will be harder to get supplies in due to restrictions.

Italy have just closed everything apart from supermarkets and pharmacies for the next 14 days. Wouldn’t you feel better knowing you could just hunker down instead of having to go out shopping in a lockdown?

And I am genuinely confused that you can look at the situation in Italy and not understand why some people are alarmed. I'm not saying panic buying is the correct response, but the motivation is pretty damn clear.

If I have to stay in with three kids I don't want to run out of milk or pasta or biscuits etc because everyone had bought it or I can't get to a shop.

Hand gel - if you use it you need to keep replacing it. Not surprised people are stockpiling.

What have we been told? Use sanitiser if you can't wash your hands and stay in for two weeks if you might have it. I'm surprised people are surprised at the stocking up.

I have an ASD child. He will only eat specific things/brands so I have bought them. Lots of them. Otherwise he will simply not eat. I always have a good amount but there’s just a bit extra in the press.

The shops are already running out of things because of the panic buying. I was in Tesco yesterday and there's signs on empty shelves "no stock until 30th March". It's only going to get worse.

Another who can't understand what's difficult to understand about this!

It makes perfect sense to have bathroom/medical supplies and enough easily prepared food to last a family 2-4 weeks should people be quarantined and/or fall ill. Mad not to, really.

I wouldn't want to rely on shops being open and stocked, or deliveries being available when I need them. Some people have added pressure of losing their income if unable to work - better to put things away now while they can afford it.

I don’t get this either, it’s stupid. Apparently you get infected roughly about 2 weeks before showing any coronavirus symptoms. So for about 2 weeks you are a walking virus host without knowing it. So by the time you self isolate, you potentially infected loads of people already during the two weeks when you were unaware you were a host. Therefore there’s no need to self isolate as you already spread your virus anyway.

My husband’s relatives are in Italy and have had to queue a metre apart for hours outside the supermarket whilst they let a handful of people at a time in. I’m in Germany and we’ve started stocking up in the last few days. Two local schools have been shut down with the students and families told to self isolate. Surely it makes sense to be prepared in case you get ill, have to self isolate or just don’t want to run the risk of waiting for hours to buy food from a half empty supermarket?

Those who are clearing the shelves of hand wash, soap and hand sanitiser mustn’t realise that to minimise the spread, we need EVERYONE to be able to wash their hands...........

Toilet roll is quite cheap and it doesn't go off. If you buy 120 and don't need them during a lock down situation you're unlikely to regret it.

I've got a good base of cupboard staples, meds and dry foods but I really haven't gone mad like some. My plan is that I'll carry on getting fresh food every week, while I can, and also replace anything out of the stash that I use so I don't deplete it, but I'm not "stocking up" anymore.

People are panic buying because of the knock on affect. The newspapers/ social media are full of stories about empty shelves, no toilet roll or pasta etc and the people who wouldn't normally panic buy are because they're now worried there will be nothing left so there are more stories, more buying.

I've just 'stockpiled' my supermarket delivery slots for the next three weeks

For when they’re quarantined for two weeks surely? Or housebound for weeks with the illness. This is not hard to understand??

I stock piled Kit Kat’s but have already eaten them all

I guess there is a possibility that if enough people go down with the virus, supermarkets won't have staff to open or stack shelves, lorry drivers won't deliver to them and we'll all be confined to our homes. Makes sense to me to stock up on a few bits just in case. I'm going for frozen veg, meat and milk, plus tins of beans and tomatoes.

I should have been a hand sanitiser or loo roll merchant. Now I would be profiteering from people’s stupidity like a king.

I have been buying extra for a good few weeks and we normally eat fresh. For the first time in my life my freezer is full. I have not needed to buy anything in the last week or so. The reason I did is when the cases ramp up I don’t want to be around infected people. I have some immune comprised people close to me and don’t want to risk it.

I bought a bit extra last week and I'll buy a bit extra this week. Nothing major, not trolley-loads, but a buffer for if/when we have to self-isolate or whatever. I don't want to have to bother friends to get bags of groceries to leave on the doorstep.

I think people to do it because of the unknown. How long will there a lockdown? What if I get ill? What if all shops shut? Etc etc etc

I have bought extra in case I have to self isolate or in case I get the virus. I don’t see it as selfish because I think it would be worse if I went to the supermarket with symptoms. I did it while supplies were still plentiful.
I know people say you could get an online delivery if you couldn’t go out but that supposes that workers in supermarkets and delivery drivers aren’t going to get ill.

I can understand why people are doing it. But I really don't feel the need to personally. I'd argue most people actually probably already have enough food to last them two weeks in their homes already. I'm also curious how people can go through more than 9 loo rolls in a fortnight.

Italy just shut all the shops in the country. I guarantee you anyone there who hasn't stockpiled is not regretting it.