In 2020, it was toilet paper. In 2021, it was gas. During the 2024 U.S. port workers' strike, it was...well, also toilet paper. Before winter storms, like those poised to slam a large portion of the country this weekend, it appears to be grocery staples like milk, eggs and bread.
Panic-buying isn't a new phenomenon, but it can be an annoying one, especially for those trying to grab a normal cart of groceries after a particularly bleak weather forecast.
Following forecasts of extreme cold and major snow, photos, news reports and social media posts showed empty grocery shelves across the country. It's not just cans of soup or batteries shoppers are stocking up on, either – perishable goods and normal grocery items are subject to the stockpile as well.
And while the storms are predicted to be serious, it's not practical calculations that drive people to buy out their local corner store's stock of toilet paper, experts say. It's fear – and maybe a little bit of peer pressure.
Hersh Shefrin, professor of behavioral finance at Santa Clara University, told USA TODAY the key emotion that drives panic buying is just that: panic and fear.
