Have you visited a petrol station recently? With retail pump prices hovering above AUD 2 a litre and reports of long queues, rationed pumps and closed bowsers, many Australians are again rushing to fill cars, trailer-mounted tanks and jerry cans. That surge comes amid one of the most severe energy shocks in decades and has prompted researchers to revisit why people panic-buy and why simple pleas not to stockpile often fail. A study of nearly 800 Australians during the early 2020 lockdowns offers clear insights into the drivers of that behaviour.
Panic buying creates problems for everyone: when many households purchase extra at once, demand spikes and strains supply chains that otherwise would cope. The 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns showed this vividly, when shelves emptied of staples from pasta to toilet paper despite repeated government and business appeals.
The researchers focused on three product groups: non-perishable food, cleaning products and hygiene items (including toilet paper). They drew on established psychological theories about how people perceive risk and make decisions under uncertainty to explain purchasing patterns.
Across all categories, two factors consistently predicted larger purchases: believing that stocking up was sensible, and perceiving a significant risk in not doing so. Social influence mattered too, but mainly for non-perishable food-people were more likely to buy extra if they thought others approved or were doing the same.
Several factors you might expect to matter did not. Age, gender, income and household size did not reliably predict who would stockpile. Nor did measured personality traits-tolerance for distress and uncertainty or prior hoarding tendencies-consistently explain the behaviour. Instead, the findings point to situational judgments about risk and what feels reasonable during crisis as the main drivers.
Using those insights, the researchers tested an intervention: a short video that reassured viewers that supply chains were stable, explained how buying normally helps protect the community and highlighted that most people were behaving responsibly. The message appealed to shared values about doing the right thing. Exposure to the video reduced intentions to stockpile, shifted attitudes and social norms, and made not stockpiling seem less risky.
The lesson for public communication is clear: shaming buyers as “selfish” or “un-Australian” is less effective than respectful messaging that acknowledges fears, provides concrete reassurance and normalises responsible behaviour. With the current oil shock already pushing visible price rises at the pump, clear, calm communication that appeals to community responsibility is more important than ever. (The Conversation)
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/03/12/panic-buying-makes-shortages-worse-why-do-people-do-it-anyway/
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Publish Date: 2026-03-12 04:26:00
