On Tuesday, as 45,000 East Coast port workers initiated a strike, Shayna Turbovsky took her lunch break to visit a grocery store, purchasing items like meat, rice, beans, bananas, and toilet paper. She also filled her gas tank and intends to keep it full.

Although Turbovsky, a Fort Worth, Texas resident, hadn’t originally planned to shop, a coworker’s warning about potential shortages and price hikes due to the strike prompted her decision to stock up.

“I’m not sure how seriously this will impact us, but with the recent hurricane affecting the southeast, I’m worried the supply chain might be disrupted further by this strike. It’s better to be overly prepared than caught off guard,” Turbovsky shared on X.

At a Costco in Arlington, Virginia, shelves that typically overflow with paper products were noticeably less stocked during Wednesday’s lunch hour. In a Costco near Los Angeles, an employee mentioned a slight rise in toilet paper sales, though it didn’t reach the frenzy seen during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Toilet Paper and Paper Towels Not Directly Affected by Strike

However, shoppers may be hoarding items that aren’t in immediate danger of running out.

On the day of the strike, 45,000 union workers walked out after contract talks stalled, leading to the closure of 36 ports on the East and Gulf coasts. This marked the first International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike since 1977.

About half of all U.S. maritime imports come through these East Coast and Gulf ports, which could lead to price increases and shortages, experts have advised YSL News. However, such shortages are expected to affect items like bananas, alcohol, seafood, electronics, medicines, vehicles, auto components, and machinery parts.

Additionally, White House officials recently indicated to YSL News that the impact on consumers regarding fuel, food, and medicine would likely be “limited.”

Economists have estimated that the economy could lose as much as $5 billion per day if the strike continues, due to halted imports and exports.

Consumers Prepare for Possible Shortages

Turbovsky acknowledges that much of what she bought might not be directly impacted by the port strike.

“What I thought about was the pandemic. When people become alarmed or anxious, they automatically think of things like toilet paper, paper towels, and food supply,” she explained to YSL News.

“Fear drives people to overconsume and buy whatever they can,” she added.

Turbovsky spent $280 acquiring over 30 pounds of meat to store in her freezer, in addition to freezing her bananas and other necessities. She recalled the difficulties of sourcing meat during the pandemic due to supply chain disruptions.

She expressed some remorse about hoarding so much meat, but ultimately felt reassured knowing she was ready for potential challenges ahead. “I might feel guilty, but it gave me peace of mind,” Turbovsky concluded.

Supply Chain Issues: A Different Scenario Than the Covid-19 Shutdown

Josh Stillwagon, an associate professor and chair of the economics department at Babson College in Massachusetts, explains that the potential for product shortages due to the port strike are different from the causes seen during the pandemic, when production was halted.

According to Stillwagon, “If all U.S. ports shut down and we didn’t have the West Coast ports available, it would resemble the COVID-19 supply chain problems where worry about stockpiling would be valid.” In contrast, he believes the shortages related to the strike will reflect the congestion experienced in 2021 when supply deliveries were delayed as ports began to reopen.

He suggests that based on the duration of the strike, consumers may see delays in receiving products as shipments get rerouted to West Coast ports.

Additionally, prices may rise since extra transportation costs incurred to ferry goods from the West Coast to the East Coast will likely be passed on to consumers.

Stillwagon acknowledges that consumer anxiety about the port strike could lead to increased purchasing of essential items.

“People tend to feel uncertain about what may happen, so they rush to grab the necessities that were hard to find last time,” he stated. The memories of Hurricane Helene’s aftermath, which left many struggling for basic supplies, might also add to this concern, leading individuals to start stockpiling due to these significant news events.

The likelihood of product shortages from the strike depends on its duration, Stillwagon remarked. With inventories back to levels seen before the pandemic and suppliers more aware of potential disruptions after COVID, short strikes might not have noticeable effects, he indicated.

Many Shoppers Are Not Hoarding Supplies

However, not all consumers are engaging in panic buying.

At Grosvenor Market in Rockville, Maryland, shoppers were filling the aisles on Wednesday lunchtime, mostly in preparation for Rosh Hashanah, the upcoming Jewish New Year, according to store owner Scot Shuck.

By noon on the second day of the port strike, Grosvenor’s stock of essentials like milk, toilet paper, and bread remained largely untouched.

Shuck noted he hasn’t seen the kind of panic buying observed during the 2020 pandemic and does not anticipate many shortages in the supply chain either.

However, if the strike extends, he mentioned that it could hinder access to some imported goods that customers enjoy: “Wines, cheeses, and likely more fruits than vegetables,” he predicted.

So, Shuck added, “let’s hope that it resolves itself soon.”