Second Food-Stockpiling Wave Is Here, With 3,400% Pantry Surge

[left-of-center2012]

American consumers who’ve worked their way through the trove of shelf-stable meals they frantically bought back in March are at it again. This time, food makers are prepared.

General Mills Inc., the maker of Cheerios and Annie’s boxed mac and cheese, added 45 external production lines through contractors since the first round of pantry loading this spring. Campbell Soup Co. spent $40 million to expand production of Goldfish crackers and is building capacity for chip brands like Cape Cod. Conagra Brands Inc. boosted third-party manufacturing and warehousing, while Stonyfield Farm, a producer of organic yogurt and milk, added farmers to its supply network.

America’s food-makers are determined not to get caught flatfooted again. Many companies left sales on the table this spring when they couldn’t ramp up production fast enough for the dried pasta and canned soups that skittish consumers were stockpiling. Food producers used a calmer summer to assess the new grocery landscape and rework their strategies. Now, with Covid-19 cases climbing again and big holiday meals getting closer, investors are waiting to see whether it will be enough.

They won’t have to wait long to find out. Signs point to another round of stockpiling already starting. Demand for items like baking goods spiked 3,400% from a year earlier in the three weeks through Oct. 13, according to Centricity Inc., a platform that tracks online activity like searches and e-commerce. Mike Brackett, Centricity’s chief executive officer, said that’s less than the 6,000% jump that preceded the first wave of pantry loading, but he expects this one to hit a wider range of products beyond canned goods and other staples.

“In the last three to four weeks, we’ve seen very drastic increases, similar to how we did with the first wave of the pandemic,” Brackett said.

https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/second-foodstockpiling-wave-is-here-with-3400-pantry-surge-2334151

[dalton99a]

1. Here we go again

[lagomorph777]

2. I'll be stocking up this week. More afraid of Trump's militias than COVID, this time.

[woodsprite]

10. Good point. I've been stocking up, but it's due to not knowing

if we're going to lose our jobs or just have our hours/pay or benefits cut. They made an 'early retirement' offering to over 300 employees, cut hours/pay by 5% already starting Nov 1, and are doing some layoffs this week.

Going in with my son's GFs family on a half case of chicken breasts and a half case of thighs. Firehouses around here a lot of times will offer fruit, veggies, chicken by the case. It was 40 lbs for $50!

[MissB]

3. I stocked up on

our favorite low sodium progresso soup two weeks ago. It’s a backup soup for when I don’t feel like actually making it from scratch. It was on sale and I bought like 24 cans or so.

Other than that, I’m still quite stocked up through the end of the year and well into January if not longer.

I’m doing a weekly curbside pickup at Fred’s and it’s mostly milk, veggies and fruit with an occasional box of crackers. I haven’t bought a turkey but since it’ll just be two of us for that day I may just get Cornish game hens. I expect I’ll be able to get those curbside.

Anyway, I’m staying out of this stocking up surge. I’m all good and happy to help family and neighbors with anything they may lack. I’m always good for a dozen eggs from the ladies out back.

[ChazII]

4. Skippy peanut butter

This brand is my favorite and I could not find it for several months. I started picking up a jar a week starting at the beginning o this month. I plan on picking up three or for more before the election. Stocking up on some canned goods but not hoarding. At least 5 cans of spinach, corn and green (each) beans isn't hoarding in my opinion. Veggie wise that will get me to 2021. I will pick up some frozen bags of the same vegetables plus a bag of frozen carrots for a roast.

[sanatanadharma]

9. PB, yes! While my preference in peanut butter is natural like Adams.

Although my preference in peanut butter is natural like Adams, I am now in Uruguay where dulce de leche is everywhere but peanut butter is not. Small (small) jars from Germany can be found at high (high) prices.

I tell the neighbors that PB is the dulce de leche of north-americans.

The good news, my wife has located an almacén selling natural PB in 700 gram (about 1.5 lbs) jars for about $8.20 (US) .
The better news is that a phone message one day, results in getting made -resh to our order peanut butter a few days later.

[occupant]

12. Skip the Skippy

ChazII, skip the Skippy maybe. Its chock full of Palm Oil which is very bad for your heart and arteries. It also is derived from the trees that the Amazon Rainforests are being clear cut and burned out for.I felt compelled to change brands to one that is in glass jars for longer term storage and it only contains peanuts and a hint of salt.

[Rorey]

5. I've remained stocked

I've always sort of been that way anyway. The only thing I really need to get at this point is more cat food for the little monsters.

I do plan to go to the store on Monday morning so I'm ready to basically shelter in place if the MAGAts get stupid(er).

[Laurelin]

6. I was about to say

that I've stayed stocked up. Then I saw the headline that France may be about to impose a 4 week lock down. Our (Netherlands) cases are much worse than France's. I definitely don't have four weeks of supplies. Time to buy flour and dog and cat food for sure.

[LizBeth]

7. Shit. I only have two rolls of TP, I better start hunting. !!! Thanks for the heads up, lol

[roamer65]

8. I have heard rumors of a paper products shortage.

[occupant]

13. Don't wanna wash a dish?

I could not for the life of me, find paper plates at two large grocery stores yesterday, here in the North of Detroit area. I guess none of us like to do the dishes...

[roamer65]

16. I don't mind doing dishes.

I like real plates.

[Generic Brad]

15. Good thing my Costco TP arrived today

We were starting to run low and noticed the toilet paper supplies are dwindling on store shelves again. So we placed an order Sunday night and it arrived today.

[Mariana]

17. I saw plenty of TP when I was out today.

They were limiting, though, and they didn't have any of our favorite variety.

[LizBeth]

20. Really? HUh. I forgot to go to the store yesterday. For sure today. I never go on the weekends.

thanks

[Blue_playwright]

11. We are always stocked somewhat ...

... I could usually go a couple of weeks or more, if needed.

What my hub and I were talking about tonight is next week if there’s no quick, clear winner or It’s conclusive early on that Joe won. We wonder if there will be violence and discussed how to hunker down, secure our house and whether I should go get a gun or two from my dad (hunting rifles).

I feel prepared for another lockdown. I don’t feel
Prepared for my city experiencing any protests by gun-wielding militia assholes.

Anyone else prepping for next week? What are you doing?

[Catherine Vincent]

14. Baking goods?

The holidays are coming up.

[Mariana]

18. The holidays were coming up last year at this time, too.

Demand for items like baking goods spiked 3,400% from a year earlier in the three weeks through Oct. 13.

[Hortensis]

19. Good article, thanks. Except for the insulting "frantic"-type characterization of

sensible people stocking up ahead of possible shortages. There must be some, poor things, but I literally have not seen and don't know any frantic or panicked shoppers.

I've read that some supermarkets have trimmed variety of offerings in favor of larger stores of standard items and also beefed up stocks at least somewhat beyond the usual "just-in-time" warehousing that kept emptying out last spring.