Interesting to note that our Walmart received a number of trucks full of food and other items today. So they called and asked for a couple officers to standby as they unloaded for fear that the panicked and fear stricken would decide to get at the food. Apparently a few people were ejected or arrested yesterday during the frenzy and it was much worse in larger cities than it was here.
People don't seem to understand that there is a supply chain. Food and TP doesn't just magically appear at the store, manifesting directly on the shelf. Many of those empty shelves had things stocked back on them during the overnight from the back room, the back room need to replenished from the contents of trucks, those trucks get filled from distribution hubs, those hubs get restocked from manufacturers and warehouses, etc., etc., and son on. Patience is not only a virtue, it's also part of rational thought. Yes, eventually if the entire process breaks down we won't be able to go back to a store, but we are nowhere even close that happening.
Besides, those of who who live well below our means and have emergency funds available will continue to be able to purchase goods. Those who panic purchased TONS of stuff this weekend are also probably out of cash and very low on credit. Plus a lot of them just got sent home from work, some paid, some not.
