Stocking up and stocking out: Food retail stock‐outs, consumer demand, and prices during the COVID‐19 pandemic in 2020

Abstract

AbstractMonitoring food retail stock‐outs or the unplanned unavailability of certain food items for purchase assists policymakers in responding to food supply chain disruptions. This study focuses on identifying food stock‐outs using store‐level scanner data on US grocery store sales during the COVID‐19 pandemic in 2020. The total median stock‐out rates of fixed‐weight items increased by approximately 130% after March 15, 2020. Categories such as meat and poultry products, some convenience and frozen foods, baby formula, and carbonated beverages had the highest stock‐out rates. The analysis also explores the relationship between stock‐out rates, sales increases, and food prices during the pandemic.