Those toilet paper panic buyers aren't 'stupid', says UOW academic

In recent weeks, the toilet paper aisle at the supermarket has been bare as people fight over the stuff like seagulls over a hot chip.

Supermarket staff have stopped bothering to load supplies onto shelves, instead just leaving them on the pallets.

Alfredo Paloyo, senior lecturer in the Business Faculty at the University of Wollongong, said these people aren't crazy.

In fact, he said "it's a completely rational thing to do" - if you only care about yourself.

"It's this idea of if other people believe they are going to run out of paper, and you believe that they believe, then really the best thing for you to do is to go out and get some toilet paper yourself," Dr Paloyo said.

"You don't want to be the last person going into the supermarket and finding out that there is really none left."

That's unlikely to happen given the toilet paper shortage is artificial - and in fact driven by the panic-buyers.

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But Dr Paloyo said these people's actions are "collectively harmful" and it was the least well-off who suffered the most.

"Everyone rushing to the supermarket to buy toilet paper is doing what's best for themselves," he said.

"Of course not everybody will be successful. Some members are going to get there ahead of others; they have the cash, they have the vehicles, they have the storage space to be able to stockpile toilet paper and all the other goods.

"But the weaker members of society, who are on Newstart allowance, they're not going to be able to spend that much money on stockpiling.

"Or if you're sick or you're elderly, you're also at a disadvantage."

Some purchasers have been selling toilet paper online at grossly inflated prices.

Dr Paloyo expected that opportunity to disappear "very quickly" as toilet paper companies continue to ramp up production and essentially flood the market.

The academic also said the government had a role to play in ending the Great Toilet Paper Panic of 2020.

That is to remain calm and project the message that there is no need to rush out and buy toilet paper.

"The crucial question here is one of belief," Dr Paloyo said.

"That's why the credibility of the government is very important. If they don't believe the messaging of the government that there is no shortage, they'll just continue to panic buy.

"But if they think that the message is clear, it's credible and they see pictures of manufacturers ramping up their production and toilet paper being delivered every day to supermarkets, eventually this fear of being caught out of toilet paper will dissipate."