This economist has a theory about why people are hoarding toilet paper during the coronavirus crisis — and why it'll only be temporary
Shoppers stock up on TP. Photo: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Empty store shelves are one of the most visible signs of the panic surrounding the rapidly advancing coronavirus pandemic and few shelves are emptying as quickly as those that typically hold toilet paper.
But for all of those worried about where they’ll get their next Charmin fix or considering an experiment with bidets, the economist Jim Luke explains on his blog that empty toilet paper shelves are not a sign that we’re running out. Nor is it something that we need a clinical psychologist to explain.
But the COVID-19 outbreak and the calls for social distancing that followed upended that steady flow of buying and restocking. People started buying more toilet paper, a “buffer stock” as Luke calls it, after they were told to prepare for more time at home. That resulted in a “temporary shock to a stable supply chain.”
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