Thinking You’re Safe from Supply Shortage?

By: FAYLYNN VIDRIO

Sitting at home watching Netflix using daily supplies carelessly, thinking all is well? Though you’re local Costoco’s shelves may be stocked right now, that’s no guarantee of a lifelong supply. Looking back just a few months ago countless individuals weren’t prepared for the sudden need of a stockpile, but have you asked yourself, are you prepared now? Is this really the end of supply shortage or will a second wave come sooner than we’d like? We all thought things were fine until COVID 19 hit us out of nowhere, and caused many to take fright in the amount of basic essentials they owned for themselves and their families. Shortly after, the masses didn’t leave much for anyone that didn’t get the memo. Examining the history from the first wave we are able to have a good idea of what kinds of things will go first, as the old saying goes, rather be safe than sorry.

As we all know during the early months of COVID 19 the government announced for all to stay home, which had many people concerned, others in a state of panic.  All making our local grocery stores the only source for necessities, resulting in a shortage of numerous essentials. All from Nintendo Switches piling up because no one was buying them while toilet paper was running out. Companies were having an exceptionally difficult time exporting their demands on time. 

Staying at home drastically enlarged the amount of food and household products we consume in a day. Families suddenly needed a larger amount of food and household products to satisfy their needs. Hoarding became a problem, many angry at each other for stockpiling instead of people taking only what they needed at the time, or at the companies for not manufacturing their products fast enough. Overall creating a substantial amount of panic. 

Toilet paper would soon be a very burdensome item to obtain. Sold out almost everywhere panicked buyers hoarded as much as they could, leaving others aggrieved with grocers and suppliers. At the “Supply Chain Management Review” Daniel Taylor, Alan Pritchard, Dale Duhan and Shashank Mishra said “Georgia-Pacific estimates that we must purchase 40% more toilet paper by remaining solely at home than when we use more varied toilet facilities.” Most toilet paper mills have a designated grocery store or company they supply for. Transportation for toilet paper was also a difficult task. All causing this sudden demand hard to supply for. Though sellers made their best efforts, it took about eight weeks for toilet paper to be stocked on the shelves again. Should you stock up now that the shortage is restored to prepare for anything in the future?

When restaurants were forced to close because of the pandemic, panicked buyers turned to pastas for simple at home dining. Spaghetti became extremely popular and sold out, similar to toilet paper. Suppliers were rushed to have numerous pastas distributed. Due to the collapse of the foodservice industry, pasta suppliers that usually supplied large-scale retail pasta producers who’d have several suppliers, turned to retail packaging. It took about five weeks for spaghetti to have a supply recovery. When restaurants started to reopen during late May the spaghetti demand rose right back up again till June. Restaurants reopening had little to no effect on the spaghetti shortage.

Home baking had become abundantly popular. Thus causing products like bread, flour, sugar, yeast, and other baking ingredients, to be almost impossible to find in any retail stores during the early stages of the pandemic. The availability of baking products are restored but will this extreme demand for these items return to us anytime soon?

Of Course there were many more supplies struggling to stay in stores as well, these are only a few examples. Bending over backwards to obtain basic necessities wouldn’t be needed if people were prepared right? By learning from past mistakes, individuals would be able to take advantage of things returning back to normal and getting ahead of the crowd. Though there could always never be a second wave to this madness nor any shortages anytime soon, an ounce of preservation is better than a pound of cure.