Cost of living drives Australian shoppers to ‘pantry loading’, as ‘you can do so much with beans’
Shoppers are stocking up on canned tomatoes, lentils, and long-life milk. Canned spaghetti is proving quite popular, as is rice. Driven by fears that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could trigger a prolonged fuel crisis—leading to rising food prices and even shortages—long-lasting pantry staples have once again surged to the top of people’s shopping lists.
Robin Power, a resident of Ballarat, notes that families in her community have begun shopping in much the same way they did during the pandemic lockdowns.
“It started during the COVID era, and now, with this whole fuel situation, we’re almost reverting to that same mindset,” says Power, a mother of two who runs a community group that shares tips on meal planning and other money-saving strategies.
“People are worried that trucks might run out of diesel and be unable to deliver supplies to stores; alternatively, people are simply trying to limit their own trips to the supermarket. Consequently, they are purchasing basic items that have a long shelf life and can be used to prepare hearty, filling meals.”
“The prevailing sentiment is: ‘If things get tough, at least I’ll have baked beans and spaghetti on hand to eat.'” According to Power, this shift in purchasing habits is being driven by a confluence of factors, including the pressure of the rising cost of living and a general sense of instability stemming from fuel shortages.
Food manufacturers have already sensed this shift.
Sign up for Breaking News Australia email alerts. SPC Global reports observing a sudden surge in purchases of its canned tomatoes, baked beans, and packaged fruits, as people stockpile long-lasting food items at home in response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The company states that it is now securing “additional ingredients and volumes” to ensure product supply meets the heightened demand—a demand that has risen by up to 20% in recent weeks.
SPC anticipates that the trend of household stockpiling will intensify as a result of this conflict.
This purchasing behavior is sometimes referred to as “pantry loading” or “back-stocking.”
Several food manufacturers contacted by Guardian Australia indicated that they began noticing shifts in purchasing habits toward the end of March. By that time, it had become clear to consumers that the repercussions of the conflict could be long-lasting, and open discussions regarding fuel rationing (limited supply) had begun.
Manufacturers have cautioned that these behavioral shifts are still in their nascent stages, and there are currently no indications that the empty supermarket shelves witnessed during the pandemic lockdowns will reappear.
The conflict in Iran has triggered significant volatility in oil prices, leading to immediate shifts in consumer behavior—including a rapid surge in electric vehicle sales. An increasing number of Australians are now working from home and utilizing public transport, as vehicular traffic on city thoroughfares has declined.
Elevated diesel prices—stemming from supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz—are fueling fears that food prices will also rise, as the costs associated with fertilizers, general farming operations, and transportation continue to climb. The current two-week ceasefire—which has rekindled hopes of easing fuel prices—is widely regarded as quite fragile.
Social enterprise Box Divvy notes that while fresh produce prices have seen mixed fluctuations in recent weeks, additional fuel surcharges in certain regions have driven up the cost of a 10-kilogram box of tomatoes by as much as $7.
Anton van den Berg, co-founder of Box Divvy, states that the burden of rising farming costs is eventually passed on to consumers.
“What we are seeing right now is the initial phase of this process,” he says. “The next few weeks will be crucial in determining just how clearly these price shifts begin to manifest.”
In Ballarat, Power observes that the shifts in consumer behavior toward long-lasting staples are, in reality, practical adjustments people are making to cope with the pressures of rising inflation—pressures that have been further exacerbated by soaring fuel prices.
“If people are concerned about meat prices, they can opt for beans instead—they are versatile and, at the same time, very filling,” Power says.
“They help stretch your meals further, and you can incorporate them in a multitude of different ways.
“Interest rates are rising, rent is high, and now fuel prices are high as well. Ultimately, it all comes down to how you can make the absolute most of your money.”
