What We Buy Before A Storm At Regular Grocery Stores — And At Trader Joe’s

What We Buy Before A Storm At Grocery Stores Vs. What We Buy At Trader Joe’s

According to the Atlantic, everyone freaks out and buys the same three foods in advance of an impending storm: milk, bread, and eggs.

This holy trinity of winter-storm preparedness is not some quirk of the nation’s capital — bread, milk, and eggs are popular panic-buys everywhere from Knoxville to New England.

Does the idea of a white-out make us crave Wonder bread? When we’re panicking because snow might hit, does our creativity go underground? Does fear make children of us all?

Correction: not quite all. According to an eye-opening report by Jessica Sidman in the Washington City Paper, Trader Joe’s shoppers denuded the store’s shelves of a lot more than just ingredients for a boring breakfast. They cleaned the place out of broccoli florets, organic coconut oil, veggie flaxseed tortilla chips, deli meat, onions, shiitake mushrooms, sauerkraut, and organic kiwis.

I mean, look at this! They took kiwis and left apples!

That is not clear thinking. Kiwis require cutlery, processing; apples are grab and go. A much better choice, should the apocalypse descend.

Also, Sidman points out, shoppers opted for the cheap wine:

Look at those untouched top shelves! If I were cooped up and getting soused all weekend, I’d want the good stuff, myself.

What do you reach for in a near crisis? And what items are out of stock where you are? Bonus points for pictures of ransacked shelves!

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