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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Magazine article
Panic buying just makes shortages worse. Why do people do it anyway?
The Conversation, Vol.11 March 2026
2026
Appears in The Conversation
Abstract
Have you visited a petrol station recently? You might have been in for a shock – and not just because the price on display was probably over A$2 a litre.
As the world grapples with one of the most severe energy shocks in decades, Australians have flocked to the fuel pump in their thousands, filling up cars, trailer-mounted fuel tanks and even jerry cans. In response, some stations have begun rationing fuel and closing pumps.
But many Australians will be feeling a sense of déjà vu. In early 2020, as the COVID pandemic sent shockwaves through global supply chains, consumers rushed to stock up on essentials from pasta to toilet paper, leaving shelves bare around the world.
There were further waves of panic buying as the pandemic continued, despite businesses and the government repeatedly urging people not to do it.
So, why do some people rush out to stockpile, and why does simply telling them not to often not work? Our previous research has explored these questions in detail. To get people to stop, we need to give them a smarter message.
Details
- Title
- Panic buying just makes shortages worse. Why do people do it anyway?
- Authors
- Jacob Keech - Griffith UniversityKarina Tirsvad Rune - University of the Sunshine Coast
- Publication details
- The Conversation, Vol.11 March 2026
- Publisher
- Conversation Media Group
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.64628/AA.vvmqngma4
- ISSN
- 2201-5639
- Copyright note
- © The Conversation Media Group. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Organisation Unit
- Healthy Ageing Research Cluster; Cancer Research Cluster; School of Health - Psychology
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991216247502621
- Output Type
- Magazine article
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