Some questions about panic buying...

[GinWeasley]

Seriously, why toilet roll? Do people really use so much? Do I just not wipe enough in general?

Also, this totally insane behaviours in UK spupermakets, did it happen in France, Spain, Italy? Or anywhere?

Does anyone know?

I suspect at some stage someone joked about needing lots of toilet paper - for weeks of isolation possibly. Then it has caught on as being a serious item which ‘needs’ to be bought it bulk.

People are feeling helpless and it gives them a sense of doing 'something'

I get that @gertie75, but why specifically toilet roll?

Ensuring people don’t run out of essentials.....toilet roll is a main one, I’m surprised toothpaste hasn’t sold out though

It was definitely a thing in Australia before here

I suppose the very name suggests the reason - people are panicked so not thinking rationally. If they were it would just be shopping

It's not just toilet roll though, it's paracetamol, hand gel, pasta.
Presumably it gives the reassurance that they can eat, maintain hygiene and combat any symptoms they may get.

My DP has read a few apocalypse type novels and says he's read a few where toilet roll has become a bit of a commodity and used as a currency. I just genuinely didn't realise toilet roll was so much at the front of peoples minds

I saw a post on fb suggesting its psychological, as loo roll is a big item, long shelf life and cheap (or was!). As others have said it's the 'doing something now' mentality.

@kizkiz I'm glad it's happened somewhere else at least

I don't get it either. I wouldn't have thought portable nebulisers would have been more in demand than toilet paper.

*would have

I think there were also a few days in hong know where the supply chains were disrupted and there really wasn’t any loo roll available.

Toilet roll is so environmentally unfriendly. Have a bidet or follow the islamic way of the shataff... Its a lot cleaner.

Yes to "is this happening in other countries?".

While not the primary reason for the closure, panic buying "tourism" in the border regions was allegedly a consideration in Germany's decision to close some of their borders.

That doesn't explain the toilet paper situagion, of course. Nobody understands the toilet paper situation.

I'm personally hoping it's a mass conspiracy and that people are planning to toilet paper No. 10 Downing Street relentlessly until BoJo adopts some sensible policies.

Because people get scared by empty shelves. And it doesn't go out of date.

Hopefully the panic will die down soon.

Toilet roll is cheap, you can buy a lot for little money and it feels like you have a lot. People find comfort in that in a crisis.
MIL says it’s the same in her part of Germany.

I take comfort in chocolate and clean clothes so actually have ensured I have a stash of this instead. I can wash my arse if required....

In all seriousness, I use cloth nappies and wipes so can improvise if needed!

I checked on amazon to see if they had toilet roll.. £50 for a pack of 16.