A university study led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute finds rationing generally doesn’t work and emergency authority figures – not retailers – stand the best chance at reducing “panic buying” during disaster-related situations.
Managing supply was deemed nearly an impossible task for retail In the study. Collected surveys in dozens of countries showed a typical food distribution center has two days’ worth of supplies. The researcher’s survey found that of households that engaged in panic buying during crises, 80 percent increased their inventories by a week and a half.