The “Why” Behind People Buying Up All The Toilet Paper

Are you like me and completely puzzled on why people are buying up toilet paper.  Most stores in our area are either completely out or have limited supply.  I was pleased to see that stores are placing limits on items like toilet paper.  I mean, I understand items like masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, antibacterial soaps, and cleaners, but … toilet paper.  Now that I don’t understand.  The company, Veritiv, states that “the average person uses 100 rolls of a toilet paper per year.”   Right now, I have five rolls of toilet paper and two boxes of bathroom wipes.  I’m hoping this will last until stores replenish.  However, I still want to understand the “why” behind toilet paper.  According to Dr. Jay Zagorsky, who is a Senior Lecturer at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.  In his article for The Conversation, he believes that this is “an example of “zero risk bias,” in which people prefer to try to eliminate one type of possibly superficial risk entirely rather than do something that would reduce their total risk by a greater amount.”  Also, he mentions that “Hoarding makes people feel secure. This is especially relevant when the world is faced with a novel disease over which all of us have little or no control. However, we can control things like having enough toilet paper in case we are quarantined.”  I get it, I guess ...but real talk if you see any bathroom wipes, let me know, pretty please. @MaryKRadio 

(Source) For the full story from The Conversation, click here.  For the full infographic from Veritiv, click here.

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