‘Frankly, It’s Silly’: From Dallas to Nashville Hoarding Begins As Americans Fear Shortages From Port Strike

Local media outlets across the U.S. reported this week that residents are panic buying and clearing off shelves out of fear of an essential goods shortage due to the ongoing port strike.

Meredith Yeomans of NBC5 in Dallas reported Wednesday that the “nationwide port strike is being blamed for a rush on products like toilet paper and bottled water, nightmarish reminders of the pandemic.” Her report quoted a local shopper saying:

“I think it’s crazy, I really do,” said Brenda Campbell outside a Costco in Duncanville.

Campbell and her husband Ben went to Costco for their monthly trip to stock up on essentials. But on Wednesday’s trip, they left without them.

Yeomans also spoke to economics professor at the SMU Cox School of Business Michael Davis who told her, “At the very best, I can say that it’s premature, and frankly, it’s silly, because even if the strike goes on for a long time, there’s going to be ways to get essentials on store shelves.”

Fox17’s Karen Aguilar in Nashville filed a similar report that noted, “Although there is no real shortage of toilet paper, you might be seeing a shortage of perishable items like bananas due to the Port Strike.” Aguilar reported on empty shelves and hoarding in her community as well and quoted an expert saying:

Overreacting is right. According to experts like Andy Borchers, a Professor of Management Lipscomb University, people are panic buying toilet paper because they think the Port Strike will make it hard if not impossible to get in the near future.

“It turns out 90 percent of the toilet paper we use in the US is produced in the US. The remaining 10 percent comes from Canada and Mexico. So there is no impact on the dock worker strike on toilet paper,” Borchers added.