Hoarding - An Alternative View

[sp1814]

There are some people who are looking to make a profit stickling, like this loser:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/technology/coronavirus-purell-wipes-amazon-sellers.html

But isn't there an argument to support those who have gone out to buy extra food (to load into their freezers) for the next few weeks?

Supermarkets and food retailers generally operate on the 'just in time' stocking principle. Even if the major chains have warehouses of non-perishables, the supply chain is going to be screwed up - farms, factories, distribution centres and drivers are all going to affected by Covid-19, so doesn't stocking up (not hoarding) make sense?

[Apc2604]

Its fresh food worry about most. You can't hoard fresh food and I haven't a huge freezer. I always have extra storecupboard basics. The stores should be rationing a lot more products than they are and rationing should have started sooner.

[jno]

sp1814, I bought a 25-pack of toilet rolls a couple of weeks back because that's what I always buy. That's the standard batch from CostCo, which is basically a wholesaler, but I shop there to save money, not because I'm a hoarder. (Coronavirus was barely an issue two weeks ago.) As far as I'm concerned, that isn't even stockpiling, it's normal shopping and it means I don't have to do it that often.

It seems in this week's jargon "hoarder" means "someone who buys more than me".

[sp1814]

ProfessorMaisie

jno makes a good point there. I don't think anyone is saying that they're hoarding as such - just that there could be a valid reason behind people increasing their weekly shop.

[vulcan42]

TheDevil, justify this. A woman I know who does not run a hotel, boarding house, care home or private hospital, has two children and one husband. Last week she bought seventy two toilet rolls, that's enough to last a normal family nearly eighteen months.

[sp1814]

jno

Yep - hoarder is like the bloke in the link in my question. Someone who is either looking to make a quick buck out of this, or who is going mad, buying more than enough groceries than they could possibly use.

[gingejbee]

^^vulcan...nobody on here has to justify that...ask the person concerned to justify her actions...

[Spicerack]

Hoarders- Busted. (no backtracking now, it's pathetic)

[sp1814]

vulcan42

I'm sure The Devil can speak for him/hersel - but do you think he/she was really supporting that extreme case you present?

I didn't get that from the earlier posts.

[sp1814]

Spicerack

I’m sure that many would agree with you. I suppose it’s just one of those things where different people interpret the same story different ways.

I think we can agree to disagree on this.

[ProfessorMaisie]

Look at your own headline sp1814 and don't try to move the goalposts now.

[Spicerack]

Sure.

[woofgang]

I think that those of us who normally stay stocked up could be said to be helping....we aren't the ones who are running short now or needing to shop now...

[jno]

vulcan, I don't know what a "normal family" does or doesn't do, but bear in mind most of us won't fit some statistical average.

[sp1814]

ProfessorMaisie

I understand your point, perhaps 'stocking up' make more sense give the content of my question, especially when you look at the link I supplied.

But leaving semantics behind, do you think that there might be a valid reason behind people getting in larger shops?

[Mamyalynne]

I used to buy loo rolls in bulk as I found a great deal and when they arrived it was like a small wardrobe in the corner of the bedroom.

Under these circumstances it never crossed my mind to try and track those down again.

I always buy much the same stuff every two weeks, this delivery arrived with quite a few subs (perfectly fine) and many no shows.

I went to check for a next delivery slot and found one 4 weeks later, nothing earlier.

I will be calling on those who have offered me help, even though I thought I was being sensible and independent.

[ToraToraTora]

"But isn't there an argument to support those who have gone out to buy extra food (to load into their freezers) for the next few weeks?" - no because all the food etc available has been divided among the morons. There has not been the slightest indication that anything is going to run out. It is these imbeciles that have created a vicious circle."
"Supermarkets and food retailers generally operate on the 'just in time' stocking principle. " - yes and that is fine until some cretins precipitate a rush on everything and mess up the system.
ummmm - "I am a hoarder" a) why? what made you think that was necessary? b) congrats, on causing a problem where none existed with your selfish attitude. c) I somehow knew you would be, it's always the ones that try to appear caring and considerate that will make Ghengis Khan look like a pacifist in a fight over a torn fiver.

[Khandro]

People differ, some are socially-aware and some are self-centred, but the manufacturers work on a steady supply & demand basis, they know for example, how many toilet rolls are bought on average per month & that's what they are geared up to do, but no manufacturer can cope with an instant demand of a 1,000% plus, nor will they, when the hoarders have all got their 100 toilet rolls the demand will stop.

[sp1814]

Mamyalynne

This may come back to bite me on the butt, but we've not even bothered to increase our normal shop.

I'm using this as an excuse to go through the food in our freezer, attempting to identify the various tubs of weirdly grey meat in there...

[jno]

lordy, TTT, how jolly inconsiderate of shoppers to mess up supermarkets' well-honed systems!

But don't you think perhaps it's the shops that should set out to provide the shoppers with what they want, rather than the other way round?

[vulcan42]

gingjbee, I will ask her the next time I see her but I'm asking TheDevil because he's all in favour of hoarding. For every family that hoards another family is being deprived.