As a winter storm forecast to bring as much as a foot of snow approaches Long Island, grocery carts across the region tend to fill up with the same items: milk, eggs and bread.
“It’s that scarcity mindset — thinking that I won’t be able to get to a store or that other people will get there before me,” said Stacey Finkelstein, a professor of marketing at Stony Brook University.
But the rush for those staples and other essentials is about more than last-minute storm prep.
Marketing and psychology experts said the familiar storm-shopping ritual is fueled by fear of being unprepared, amplified by storm warnings and social media, and shaped by a desire to regain a sense of control — and connection — as severe weather approaches.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- The rush to buy staples like milk, bread, and eggs before a storm is driven by a scarcity mindset and fear of being unprepared, amplified by social media and storm warnings.
- Stocking up on essentials provides a sense of control and connection during uncertain times, as people join others in preparing for severe weather.
- Experts suggest that preparation doesn’t always require panic buying, and checking existing supplies at home can mitigate the rush to stores.
That pattern has been playing out online and in stores across Long Island as the storm nears.
On Thursday, TikTok users posted videos of empty shelves at Trader Joe’s. One Reddit user, spotting a few empty milk shelves at a Trader Joe’s on Long Island, cheekily wrote in a post, “Everybody get your milk?”
The Costco in Melville was busy Friday, with a full parking lot. Shelves holding bagels, multigrain Kirkland loaves and boxed croissants showed noticeable gaps, and the store was out of milk and eggs — though cartons of egg whites remained available.
Judith Gaffney, a Wheatley Heights mother of four, stopped in to pick up a few items, including paper towels and bread.
“I have kids at home, and they like peanut butter and jelly,” she said as she pushed her cart through the parking lot. “It’s easy, and it goes fast.”
Howard Itkin of Nassau County shops for bread at Stew Leonard’s in Farmingdale ahead of an approaching winter storm. Credit: Barry Sloan
Stew Leonard’s Farmingdale location was busy ahead of the storm, with shoppers crowding the bread aisle as staff worked to keep shelves stocked. Elina Pavic, 49, of Plainview paused to load her cart with a baguette, sourdough and brioche.
“We just need bread. That’s all I know,” she said.
Pavic said she might make sandwiches or French toast over the weekend as the storm moves in.
“I feel like when you want to hunker down for a snowstorm, you need treats and yummy things,” she said.
Tristan Keaster, 42, of Massapequa bought two cartons of milk, along with other groceries, but that’s just because he’s buying his normal groceries ahead of Sunday, he said.
“The snow is usually cleared in a day or two around here so it’s not anything I’m worried about,” he said.
Still, forecasters have predicted an expansive storm hitting the Island early Sunday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Friday morning, mobilizing additional supplies and snowplows for municipalities and urging residents to stay off the roads.
Stew Leonard Jr., president and CEO of the Stew Leonard’s grocery chain, said shoppers have been stocking up on staples as they prepare for the storm. The chain has two stores on Long Island, including the Farmingdale location.
“We’re holding on by our fingertips just trying to get product,” Leonard said. “We had to get an extra load of milk to get into the store. The staples have doubled.”
The logic behind the staples
Milk, eggs and bread are among the staples drawing shoppers to Stew Leonard’s in Farmingdale ahead of a winter storm. Credit: Barry Sloan
Bread and milk, in particular, tend to be priorities for families with children, Leonard said. Bread is a go-to for sandwiches, while milk is used for everything from cereal and coffee to hot chocolate.
Milk, bread and eggs are commonly considered necessities and can be used for multiple dishes, making them especially appealing for households stocking up ahead of a storm, said Finkelstein.
“Whatever a household deems to be a necessity is what they’re going to stock up on,” Finkelstein said.
That behavior is often driven by fear of not having enough food if conditions worsen, a fear that’s reinforced both by storm warnings on the news and by seeing others stock up on social media, said Sayeedul Islam, an associate professor of psychology at Farmingdale State College.
Watching other people prepare — whether by filling carts with groceries or buying something as simple as rock salt — can create pressure to do the same, as people worry about being less prepared than those around them, he said.
In that way, stocking up becomes a shared response, said Colleen Kirk, a professor of marketing and management at the New York Institute of Technology who has studied consumer hoarding behavior. Joining other Long Islanders heading to grocery stores before a storm can offer a sense of connection during an uncertain moment, she said.
“People like to belong, even though this is not a fun thing,” Kirk said. “This is another way to connect.”
At the same time, Kirk said, those purchases can help people regain a sense of control when a storm threatens routines or access to basic needs.
“When something challenges your sense of control, you’re more likely to act or react,” she said.
Similar buying patterns appeared during other emergencies. A 2024 study analyzing debit card data found that the average Florida resident stockpiled roughly five meals ahead of Hurricane Ian in 2022. Americans also rushed to buy toilet paper and other household goods during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Finkelstein said.
While the urgency of an approaching storm can push people to act quickly, Finkelstein cautioned that preparation doesn’t always require a trip to the store.
“Take a look in your pantry,” she said. “See what you have before you rush out to the store. Perhaps if more people did that, we wouldn’t see this panic-driven buying occur.”
