Another Round Of Grocery Hoarding Could Hit Boise
The Treasure Valley could see another run on groceries this winter as people hop on the stockpiling bandwagon again. But, there is good news. Meat might be spared this time.
Surely we've learned that wiping grocery store shelves clean of elbow macaroni and toilet paper solves nothing. Welp, maybe not.
With case numbers rising around the country, we're hearing rumblings that people are starting to stockpile again over fears that another wave of the pandemic could disrupt the supply chain and cause popular grocery items to fly off the shelves as they did in March.
Sports and Leisure Research Group conducted a poll and round that more than half of Americans already have or are planning on stockpiling food, TP, and cleaning supplies. But, at the same time, 48%, painted the opposite picture and said there will be no changes coming to their shopping habits.
No matter what happens this winter, we can take comfort in the fact that grocery stores are more prepared this time. Grocery stores and warehouse retailers are building long-term stockpiles of items that flew off the shelves in the spring, so they have vaults full of toilet paper, cleaning and sanitizing products, and baking supplies. In other words, they are stockpiling so we don't have to.
Meat producers say shortages are unlikely to happen again, so the bacon supply should be safe. Yahoo News said meat companies faced major delays in production this spring because of infections among employees, but new rules and standards are in place to prevent another round of that.
And more good news. Most of us have been keeping our pantries more well-stocked throughout the pandemic and our current shelf loads could likely last several weeks. I have enough Skinny Pop to last through Thanksgiving, and enough peanut butter to get us through the entire school year. I just hope the jelly is there when I need it.
Overall, there seems to be less panic this time around, and a smaller urge to add endless rolls of toilet paper to the household vault. We trust that everything is going to be just fine. Or, we're still working out way through the stash we collected in March.