ABSTRACT
Panic buying (PB) is being reported recently concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has been there for a long time. PB creates a false impression of a shortage of food and other essential items and prompts others to rush to markets and stockpile essential items. Incidents of PB have probably not been reported before the twentieth century. Incidents of PB have been reported during the Cuban missile crisis, Spanish flu pandemic, oil crises, and toilet paper crisis. Besides essential items, PB has also been reported in association with a popular aerated beverage and arms/ammunition. Factors that are likely to initiate and/or propagate PB include survival instincts, social influence, and fear of the unknown. It appears there are possibly many other unexplored factors contributing to PB. Research on PB is limited. PB is likely to recur in the future. A clear understanding of the past events of PB shall provide useful insight into the same in the future. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)