Why people are buying so much toilet paper amid coronavirus outbreak

[Shawnster]

https://nypost.com/2020/03/04/why-people-are-buying-so-much-toilet-paper-amid-coronavirus-outbreak/

 

Consumer psychology experts say the irrational herd mentality is fueled by social media and alarmist news coverage, according to the BBC.

 

Another explanation for the phenomenon is what’s known as the FOMO — fear of missing out — syndrome, Associate Professor Nitika Garg, a consumer behavior researcher at the University of New South Wales, told the news outlet.

[Tortuga]

I heard some local stores are out of bottled water too. What's up with that? Is the Coronavirus taking over our water supply and shutting it off? 

[Ahuvah]

2 hours ago, Bro Richard said:

I heard some local stores are out of bottled water too. What's up with that? Is the Coronavirus taking over our water supply and shutting it off? 

I  wondered that too Richard - until I heard one country (Canada?? I can't remember) reporting that the water pressure was down because people are washing their hands more. (Considering how long x2 renditions of happy birthday last - that's a lot of water being used).

 

Re: Toilet Paper ... in the case of elderly (or families of elderly) or those with immune systems that are compromised with Asthma, Diabetes or other illnesses, their rationale is that if they stock up now they won't have to go out and get sick. But, my goodness, I saw this coming about six weeks ago - so Tom and I quietly got one each week (we usually get two a month maybe) - and we have enough for a few weeks should it happen here or should the supermarket get so crazy that we won't need to go near it until things calm down if they do, but the amounts I'm seeing online that people are getting!! It's crazy!! And the fighting?? What's with that???

 

Last week's shop - just a normal shop with a few extras ... Tom was waiting for me in line - as sometimes I can't walk fast ... there was a woman standing behind him and when she saw me coming with my trolley she got angry and lost control. I mean really angry ... we just smiled and apologized and kept things calm ... our trolley goes right through as if it's one transaction rather than

many due to a program we have here called shop'n'go - which means you just scan your own groceries as you get them and pay the amount at checkout without having to put them on the counter. The scanner was in my hand - but she didn't use reasoning she just got angry. I sadly, think we are going to see more of that. 

 

This might be a cheaper option taking in the latest price gouging for hand sanitizer online:

Edited March 8, 2020 by Stormswift

[ChrisC]

1 hour ago, Bro Richard said:

I heard some local stores are out of bottled water too. What's up with that? Is the Coronavirus taking over our water supply and shutting it off? 

Emma finds our tap water irritates her throat. I generally drink the same bottled water as her so I don’t have to mess about with 2 kettles when making tea.

We have about a 6 weeks supply, but I have recently started doing the annoying 2 kettle thing in case things get really silly.
#BlitzSpirit

 

I still say things like, “I just saved 25p by using 2 litres of tap water for me. That’s 25 tracts!”

[Ahuvah]

Also  here may explain the panic - maybe not why it's zoned in on toilet paper, but yeah. 

According to this link - panic is caused by the conflicting 'facts' or information given even in live interviews by people on the same team.

The people don't trust their leaders. 

Thank goodness we can put our lives in our Leader ... that is why we are calm and not panicking.

 

 

 

 

[Friends just call me Ross]

March 8, 2020 

Quote

Coronavirus: Northern Italy quarantines 16 million people - BBC News

 

 

[minister159]

My wife and I went to Costco this morning to buy some necessary items, like toilet paper and paper towels, and as we approached the area where these are located, an employee announced loudly that they were out of both items. When I asked when they would be available again, she said "I don't know." There was a line inside the store, almost as long as the line outside the store, designated specifically for buying water with a two case limit. Apparently, since the toilet paper and towels were already gone, they now felt a need to buy up all the water!  

[luisenriquereyes]

The psychology behind why toilet paper, of all things, is the latest coronavirus panic buy

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/09/health/toilet-paper-shortages-novel-coronavirus-trnd/index.html

 

The article gives these 5 reasons:

 

People resort to extremes when they hear conflicting messages

 

Some are reacting to the lack of a clear direction from officials

 

Panic buying begets panic buying

 

It's natural to want to overprepare

 

It allows some to feel a sense of control

[Ahuvah]

NZ buying water now - have cyclone headed our way ... possibly depending whether a predicted high beats it or not. Our supermarkets aren't too bad this week did notice Olive OIl and water were really low, but that's it oh and tinned stew.  Didn't go down the toilet paper aisle - didn't need any.

[Dustparticle]

 

 Well I can image when money worth nothing, then people will use it as toilet paper. Oh well, us Indians don't like $20 bills anyway.

[ChrisC]

Poor mum! (80)

Her shopping is coming and !!!THEY HAVE’NT GOT TOILET PAPER!!!

I’ve been warning her for a week or two, .. oh well.

I’ve ordered her t.p. , kitchen roll , and paracetamol.

 

[Joey]

I wonder if there will be toilet paper in public restrooms?! 
Better carry some with me🤫
 

[Tortuga]

2 hours ago, Littlecat said:

I wonder if there will be toilet paper in public restrooms?! 
Better carry some with me🤫
 

BYOTP....😂

[Ludwika]

I wonder if there will be toilet paper in public restrooms?! 
Better carry some with me
 

Oh, that's a point I never thought of!!!

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

[ChrisC]

6 hours ago, Littlecat said:

I wonder if there will be toilet paper in public restrooms?! 
Better carry some with me🤫
 

Also, don’t assume there will be soap! I had to complain about lack of soap in the local disabled toilets time after time.

I actually started wondering if the cleaners were thinking ‘disabled people won’t notice’.

 

[ChrisC]

Our groceries just came. Some stuff unavailable but we have 3 fridges and 2 freezers totally packed! 
(I’m not even going to think about a power failure.)

 

Thats one way of losing some of this fat, walking backwards and forwards wiping and putting away each item. Took about an hour to do the chilled and frozen stuff.

The rest can sit in quarantine in the other room for a while.

 

#blessed

 

edit: we have 4 fridges, not 3. 😃

Edited March 14, 2020 by ChrisC

[Shawnster]

 

 

1 roll of cheap toilet paper for $15 US.  24 rolls had already been sold.

 

Edited March 14, 2020 by Shawnster

[Qapla]

$14.99 for TP + $4.70 for shipping makes it $19.69

 

Talk about price gouging

[ChrisC]

(Just to add, we are assuming we will need to share some of this stuff. We probably have 800+ paracetamol here, 100+ rolls of t.p., 80+ cans of soup etc. I need to go through everything.)

 

What does it mean when life literally gives you a lemon? We have somebody else’s lemon with our groceries.

It must mean something.

[Lee49]

I told this story in the other forum but here it is again - twelve years old camping over night with my other young friends, no bath rooms near by, just an old out house, had to go and I did except no toilet paper, yelling out to my friends " hey you guys, hey! hey! there's no paper in here" ( laughing out side of course) bring me something, they returned, laughing again and handed me a hand full of maple leaves, "here ya go"! No I don't horde tp, just enough so I don't have to use leaves! Oh, the shame!