Are Pandemic-Era Shopping Shortages Returning? 3 Reasons To Stock Up Now (And 3 Not To)
Written by
Kerra Bolton
Edited by
Amber Barkley
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As tariffs impact global trade routes, some consumers worry that store shelves could soon resemble the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic — bare and unpredictable, and possibly hard on the budget.
Earlier this year, a growing number of U.S. consumers said they were stockpiling goods in anticipation of rising prices.
“I’m buying double of whatever — beans, canned goods, flour, you name it,” Thomas Jennings, a shopper in New Jersey, told a Reuters reporter as he prepared for potential price hikes and shortages.
While prices have dominated recent headlines, delays in shipping and customs backlogs are quietly creating stock shortages in key sectors. And, although President Donald Trump’s tariffs were recently declared unlawful by the Court of International Trade, they were quickly temporarily reinstated. The Trump administration is also pushing back in an attempt to implement the tariffs, leaving their fate unknown for now.
Are pandemic-era shopping shortages returning? Here are threereasons to stock up now and threereasons not to.
3 Reasons To Consider Stocking Up
If the tariffs do stick around, here are the reasons you might want to start stocking up.
Shipping Delays Are Real
Shane Lucado, founder and CEO of InPerSuit Inc., a legal technology company, said consumers should watch for signals in logistics contracts and freight indexes.
“When companies start renegotiating delivery terms mid-year, something big is shifting,” Lucado said. “Freight delays plus tariff spikes mean manufacturers hedge risk by cutting supply. That ripples into job cuts, stock adjustments and vendor shakeups.”
Global Uncertainty Is Driving Volatility
Josh Fischer, vice president of product strategy at Cin7, an inventory management platform, said Chinese imports will be hit the hardest.
“This is going to impact several specific industries, such as electronics, apparel, footwear, auto parts, toys, and sporting goods,” Fischer said. “The good news is that these aren’t the types of products consumers are buying every day. But this will impact seasonal spikes in purchases.”
European Tariffs May Hit Soon
Baby furniture and European goods are current examples of accessible but vulnerable inventory.
“Purchasing baby furniture is the smartest move right now,” said Johanna Bialkin, CEO of Aldea Home & Baby. “Gliders, cribs and dressers, especially from Europe, are still in stock and still at a good value right now. We are expecting the tariffs in the EU to drive up demand and pricing.”
3 Reasons Not To Stock Up Prematurely
Panic won’t do you any favors, so make sure you consider the reasons not to stock up before you hit the store.
Panic Buying Leads to Poor Decisions
Acting out of urgency rather than need may leave consumers with items that don’t suit their lifestyle or, worse, that they can’t return.
“Sometimes people make decisions they regret, like buying a full-size stroller when you actually realize you want something lightweight,” Bialkin said. “We love the process of education and will continue to leverage our 20 years of expertise to help our consumers buy when it is the right moment.”
Stock Shortage Will Be Uneven
Unlike the pandemic, when supply disruptions unfolded gradually and predictably, today’s potential trade-related shortages are harder to anticipate.
Factors such as small business closures, volatile pricing and inconsistent trade policies make inventory gaps unpredictable and category-specific. Stockpiling everything “just in case” could strain household budgets and storage space with little payoff.
“We saw a 44.8% spike in apparel sales during the week of March 31,” said Raj De Datta, CEO and founder of Bloomreach, an AI-driven personalization platform. “That’s consumers trying to get ahead of price hikes due to China-focused tariffs.”
De Datta added, “When tariffs hit basics, like a $100 shoe line suddenly costing $300, some retailers may pause entire product lines.”
Stockpiling Can Lead to Financial Strain
In times of uncertainty, it’s natural to consider stocking up on essentials. However, financial experts caution against excessive spending that could jeopardize personal finances and encourage the use of credit cards for everyday purchases.
“Make sure you know where every dollar is going right now, because it’s more important than ever to do so,” Thomas Nitzsche, a financial educator at the nonprofit Money Management International (MMI), told NBC10 Boston.
He explained, “When you see $10 for a dozen eggs, it is really a wake-up call. If it is something you know you’ll need, you want to buy now, feel free. But just use caution, because if you finance it, you really got to do the long-term math on that to see, is this really going to make sense? Am I going to end up paying more in interest than I would have saved if I just waited?”
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