I am still floored by this run on toilet paper. I wonder if Freud would think we're all anally fixated.

People who are hoarding supplies are selfish and greedy. In times like these, people will always show you what kind of person they really are.

There's always morons who panic. Supermarkets are adapting, changing replenishing processes that were not needed before. Seniors given preference early is step in good direction.

If one can't buy food why would one need toilet paper?

I have heard the word panic used a lot, but I don't see much panic really. If there is a chance we might be asked to not leave our homes for a few weeks, it seems pretty reasonable to buy up enough food and supplies to last a while - more than you might ordinarily buy. And if everyone is doing that, the shelves are going to go bare pretty quickly. I know the "news" outlets had to print the photo of those two old ladies punching each other over the last package of fanny-ribbon but that's how the news makes it's money, right? I haven't seen any of that in the stores here. People have just been quietly and courteously going about doing what any prudent person would do under the circumstances, as far as I can tell. A pandemic is not the time for ordinary behavior. Things need to change, and change quickly. Norms have to be broken, and it won't be smooth.

Local chain, Giant, cut hours and only seniors can shop 6am to 7am starting tomorrow. I'll check that out. Should be at the best it will be stocked.

LOL! Hand sanitizer only kills 99.9% of the germs, leaving only the strongest to survive. Then that strongest breeds to make the rest stronger. I use good old soap and water to clean my hands. I think the panic will subside next week.

It is the same here in Australia. Most of the main stream grocery stores have more empty shelves than they do stocked. They are starting to place limitations on quantities people can buy. Also they are offering an hour each morning for aged folk to shop, before they open their doors to the general public. I go out 'foraging' each morning to see what I can find and have had more success with the smaller local, independent stores than the corporate ones. Same situation here; no problem on the supply side but they just can't keep the shelves stocked long enough. I feel really sorry for the employee's. They are beginning to visibly wilt under the pressure. Today's surprise....toothpaste. None on the shelves. WTF is it with TP and toothpaste? Wild and crazy times!!!!!!

Went to my local Aldi's today...other than a few "limit 2 per customer" on a few items, and no toilet paper, I got everything else I needed easily.

I just got back from my local Walmart and I am SCARED. It was like an apocalypse movie, empty shelves and sections. No tv dinners, no hamburger, no pot pies, so much emptiness.

Just got back from one here in the San Francisco bay area. Today we took both dogs to a bay side park near the Golden Gate Fields racetrack. We were not alone but we rarely passed anyone. Pretty nice time and safe enough. Even under shelter in place orders it is recognized that outdoor exercise is a good thing so all the regional parks are open.

But we stopped at a large Target store to see what the line was like. There was no line so we both went in and grabbed what we could think of. No TP but fortunately that is something I usually buy in bulk anyway so we're not hurting yet. The shelves seemed a little more wiped out that normal but still no chance of starving.

Apparently the stores in my area (Berkeley) will begin limiting the number of people in the store at one time as well as making early morning opportunities for those most at risk including we oldsters. Limiting the number allowed in the store is supposed to help keep the employees safe too, something I'm happy about as my brother works at a grocery store not far from here. I used to teach school and we got regular training to expect to be pressed into being made responsible for students at school ahead of ones own dependents at home in a major earthquake or other disaster. But I seriously doubt Safeway employees are ever told in a pandemic your work is needed and so shelter at home orders don't apply to you; instead come in and put yourself in the line of fire all day long.

People... different places, same attitude! Ok, this thing is causing quite a disruption but you better keep calm!!! Panicking doesn't solve anything. What can you do???

Wow, in the UK too?

What I find comical is all the fat people, piling their shopping carts with candy, cookies, doughnuts, pies, and cakes!

I went to my local shop in the village yesterday and they had everything in stock....except toilet rolls! I will just keep popping in there for fresh bread, milk and veggies as I need them..as I live on my own my toilet requirements are modest and if I run out of loo roll I can use cut up newspaper if necessary. I do not intend to visit any of the bigger supermarkets until this pandemic is over. Incidentally, I just saw an item on TV earlier about when some pensioners arrived at their local Sainsbury’s this morning at 7am to do their shopping at the time set aside for them, they found it already crowded with younger people! The store said that as it was only an advisory rule that Sainsbury’s had introduced and not something they could enforce, they were sorry but they couldn’t prevent the general public from entering the shop. I think that is just so selfish of those younger people and indicative of how greed and an “I’m all right Jack, up yours” mentality seems to come to the fore in times like these. I agree that we need to prevent this selfish mentality from turning the current grave situation into a complete disaster for everyone. It pains me to say it, as I’m a firm believer in civil liberties, but maybe the time for advisory guidelines is over, and we need some firm mandatory laws in the interest of curbing this selfish behaviour.

Sounds like Allan and Mario are pretty sound, I wish I had a loo roll contact right now good for you

Good advice. -.15°C

I’ve always noted that shoppers at the “big box” stores, like Walmart and Costco, are more prone to herd behaviors and, true to form, that’s where I see the most crowding and hoarding. Regarding the “regular” stores and markets in my neighborhood, I’ve noticed something interesting with cultural implications: I live in a very large, majority East Asian community (mostly Chinese emigres and Chinese-American), and many of my neighbors started self-quarantining/social distancing/sheltering-in-place way before folks in other communities, and before any civic/state orders to do so. Hoarding, on the other hand, has been extremely rare: certainly rarer than in the other neighborhoods around us. So far, I’ve been able to find everything I want/need while shopping without problems. I’ve even been picking up items for friends that are hard to find in their parts of the city, including TP and bottled water.

I have noticed a shortage in certain items, some canned goods, cheaper TP (the more expensive and 'green' types are left alone) and any kind of hand sanitizer.
I have noticed a lot of people toss the in-store towelettes in the shopping carts or even on the floor. I take a plastic bag to keep what I use as they can be re-used for a while. These come in handy when outside .

We live in a small town with both a Safeway and a Bashas. I finally got some TP the other day by going in at 6:30. As far a food goes it seems most folks are buying canned goods and noodles. There is so far plenty of produce and that is our staple so I figure we'll be healthier than most as long as this nonsense lasts.

I work in a supermarket I am on holiday from work at the moment but went in yesterday to buy some bread. The staff looked exhausted shelves where empty one bully had try to take tins of beans out of the trolley of a disabled person the staff on the till are abused normally ( i don't work in the tills and would not be very diplomatic if abused) it is worse most laugh it of but after a while it gets to you. The local shops here seem to be well stocked at the moment how long before the bullies and horders figure this out i don't know. Crisis like this bring out the best and worse in some people.