We have long known that shoppers are predictably irrational. Sometimes shoppers say and do different things and then can’t explain why they behaved that way. However, few examples make this shopper truth more undeniably obvious than when the weathermen call for inclement weather.
There’s hurricanes, severe storms, or lots of snow and suddenly, the grocery stores are essentially battle zones with shoppers fighting to get their carts down the aisles or fill their baskets as fast as possible. Most notably, the bread, milk, and egg aisles are mad houses of irrational behavior. The sense of urgency and fear of running out drives shoppers into frenzies. But why? It can’t be that those are coincidentally the ingredients to make french toast.
Stocking up on perishable items doesn’t make any sense, yet we do it anyway. We don’t stop and rationally think about the reality of the situation: during crazy weather, the power is the first thing to go. Without power, it’s difficult to keep milk and eggs fresh. Wouldn’t canned or dry goods be more efficient if the power is out for days? Yes, but shoppers prove time and time again that they are irrational beings, especially when it comes to the forecast.
PhotoSource: Twitter.com, ABC Nashville @WKRN
