Panic shopping is in our DNA. But there’s no need for it to happen now, WA stores say
In March, shoppers rushed to the stores ahead of impending state shutdowns of schools and non-essential businesses as the reality of the coronavirus pandemic started to take hold.
Now, ahead of Thanksgiving and at the start of a targeted shutdown affecting gyms, indoor dining, social gatherings and more, shoppers are once again flipping into hoarding mode.
As Gov. Jay Inslee announced the new restrictions Sunday, it didn’t take long for the stampede to begin.
Safeway/Albertsons media representative Sara Osborne on Monday told The News Tribune that a “high volume of customers shopped our paper and cleaning aisles (Sunday). Despite having product limitations on specific paper and cleaning products, there was a much higher number of customers who purchased most of the supply that the stores had on hand.”
She added that customers essentially need to calm down.
“There is no need at all for customers to stockpile. We kindly request that customers shop according to their normal routine so our stores can continue to easily be able to serve all in the community,” Osborne said.
“We have our trucks deployed to restock stores daily, and a national purchasing network that was preparing for this surge in demand and is now currently restocking our warehouses.”
The panic-induced shopping phases of the pandemic were enough to inspire a report by researchers published in May in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
The report listed four things causing the pandemic panic shopping: “individuals’ perception of the threat of the health crisis and scarcity of products; fear of the unknown, which is caused by negative emotions and uncertainty; coping behavior, which views panic buying as a venue to relieve anxiety and regain control over the crisis; and social psychological factors, which account for the influence of the social network of an individual.”
Cue the steady stream of social media posts over the weekend showing bare shelves, and suddenly you have spontaneous shortages.
Dr. Gregory Rose is a professor in the University of Washington Tacoma’s Milgard School of Business. He does research into consumer behavior and consumer psychology.
He agreed that social media is playing an outsize role in the shopping frenzy.
“I think people, when they find that there is scarcity, they get just very scared. And they overreact. But I think social media maybe multiplies that,” he said.
Rose likened it to the bulk shopping before a hurricane.
“Maybe also power failures. We usually see this in a natural disaster of some sort,” he said.
A way to counter it is turning to “information from credible sources. Governmental figures that might go out and speak to the public,” or traditional news sources, he added.
Store capacity restrictions for both Fred Meyer and Safeway dropped by 5 percent as a result of Sunday’s announcement, but both Fred Meyer and Safeway/Albertsons representatives said shoppers shouldn’t really notice any changes.
Fred Meyer representative Jeffery Temple told The News Tribune via email Monday, “Earlier in the pandemic, we set our capacity limits for all stores in Washington to 30%, and will again adjust to ensure we are fully compliant with the new 25% limit implemented by Governor Inslee. We take our role as part of the critical infrastructure very seriously and will continue to make adjustments as needed to put the safety of our customers and associates first.”
Temple also stated that the recent COVID-19 outbreak at the Fred Meyer Puyallup distribution center was not having an effect on its supply chain.
“Currently, only two associates out of the distribution center’s approximately 700 workers have tested positive for COVID-19,” he said via email Monday.
He added that both workers “are self-quarantining in alignment with the company’s Emergency Leave Guidelines. There has been no impact on the supply to our stores.”
According to Osborne of Safeway/Albertsons, “The stores will operate as they have throughout the pandemic, which means they will stay open and provide a safe environment for our communities to get their necessary food and supplies.”
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
