The 7-11 Factor
I call this false security the 7-11 factor. If you need something in a pinch, you will almost certainly find it in a convenience store around the corner. The 7-11 factor has left us all feeling that the small necessities are only minutes away and always stocked. But what would happen if several hundred or even several thousand people converged on your local convenience stores at one time? How much inventory could they really carry? Unless you work for one, you likely have no idea and have never even thought about it. In reality, convenience stores only carry about a week´s worth of perishable inventory, including water. Grocery items like cereal or candy bars have a three week inventory. Your standard grocery outlets aren´t much better. They generally keep a steady one to two week inventory on all items depending on shelf life and demand, and in the event of a rush due to impending disaster, that stock will empty over night. Any store that deals in perishables will only keep in stock what they can sell before it goes bad, and what they can sell is based on the daily needs of the public, not what the public will need in the event of a catastrophe. One thing that market analysis, demographics, and population estimates don´t count on is everybody needing the same item at the same time.