According to Nada R. Sanders, who teaches Supply Chain Management at Northeastern University, there is a reason why items like toilet paper, wipes, flour and certain canned items are often missing from store shelves.
Seeing empty shelves leads to more panic buying when these staples are replaced, usually just after a day or two. However, that still puts a strain on the system.
With supplies coming from multiple locations around the globe, increasing production for soaring demand is difficult to do, especially because businesses around the world have been shut to prevent the further spread of the virus.