In 1933 when FDR first took office, the country was in the depths of the Great Depression. Thus, from the start of his first administration, President Roosevelt placed a high priority on securing “freedom from want,” seeing it as essential to the nation’s long-term strength and future.
In 2020 when COVID-19 first swept through the country people hoarded toilet paper, clearing grocery shelves. Fights broke out over what was considered a precious commodity in the lock down.
The bleak scenes at the big-box stores may be making a comeback, thanks to the COVID delta variant sweeping the U.S. Most shoppers also say they’re planning to do some hoarding because of the delta surge. Stores could respond by slapping new limits of purchases of basic items, like toilet paper.
People on Twitter say they’re seeing evidence that another round of COVID-related hoarding may be underway.
One twitter user reported, “Saw a parked car stacked with Toilet Paper in the passenger seat. I sense this is more fear mongering than actually a shortage.” A man in Las Vegas wrote, “What is wrong with people? Did we not learn from last year at all? I pulled up to Costco and they are out of toilet paper and water. These people never learn.”
Inmar Intelligence, a research and data firm, released date on August 12, 2021 that is telling retailers they need to be ready for new shortages and hoarding. It based its warning on a survey it commissioned of 1,000 U.S. adults. Nearly 7 out of 10 consumers (69%) say they’re planning to buy toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer and similar items, to replenish pandemic stockpiles of that kind of stuff that they started keeping last year.
“This behavior has created a new shopper segment dubbed ‘The Squirrels”, those who will always have an established stockpile in their homes. Of course in Florida the hurricane season has started as well which adds to the hoarding of supplies.