Dangers of JIT (Just-in-Time) stocking of grocery stores

[SavedByGrace3]

I was a Process Team Coach back in the early 90s. One of the principles of management of industrial stock was "Just in Time" stocking. Meaning that you only ever have just enough material in your stock for the next day or even hour. This reduces the the need for stocking raw material and hence reduces the cost. Works pretty good if you can plan it out correctly. Using this method you could actually shut down the plant any time and never have more than a hour or two of raw material laying around. Good for manufacturing... but not good for everything... specifically grocery stores.
The JIT (just in time) concept has finally made it to your local supermarket. Meaning that your local super market will only have enough groceries in stock to fill the shelves for a day! Time was your grocery store manager could run "in the back" and pull another plat of rice or tomatoes out to the floor. No more, once they are out they are out. If for any reason the trucks stop running.. your local supermarket may have as little as what is on the shelves. Not good for a stuff hits the fan scenario. The nation is being set up for famine.
I promote the idea that everyone is a prepper. You either "plan-prep" now, or you "panic-prep" on the day the Stuff hits the fan. JIT would seem to further thwart the plans of the panic-prepper. By the time you get there... there will be nothing left. I am waiting to see the effects of JIT on hurricane and snow storm catastrophes.
I also promote the idea that people will do anything to save their family from starvation... including riot, robbing, even attacking people. Including "good" people. Hence, if your plan is to panic-prep, go ahead and include robbing as a part of your plan.
People openly confess that they will do "anything" to save their family in a SHTF situation. Anything of course but Prep now.
Dear Friends:
PREP NOW!!!

 

[drjean]

Quite right. With 1000 people a day moving to FL there are hundreds of thousands who have never been through a hurricane.

You are correct in that the stores do not stock for more than a day or two. Often the breweries can water when a big storm is approaching but the stockpile is hundreds of miles away.

There is NO USE going to the store JIT. The shelves are nearly empty then. (Which is amazing since we often get a week's worth of notice at least, if you watch the major weather NOAA and Wunderground.) What is also amazing is that it appears that grocery stores are less busy the week before...I want to ask the manager this... maybe those newbies are taking a "wait and see" approach, figuring they'll do all their shopping at once?

And I recall after Hurricane Andrew that many could not eat because they had canned food and no NON ELECTRIC can opener. Experience can be a hard teacher.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Quite right. With 1000 people a day moving to FL there are hundreds of thousands who have never been through a hurricane.

You are correct in that the stores do not stock for more than a day or two. Often the breweries can water when a big storm is approaching but the stockpile is hundreds of miles away.

There is NO USE going to the store JIT. The shelves are nearly empty then. (Which is amazing since we often get a week's worth of notice at least, if you watch the major weather NOAA and Wunderground.) What is also amazing is that it appears that grocery stores are less busy the week before...I want to ask the manager this... maybe those newbies are taking a "wait and see" approach, figuring they'll do all their shopping at once?

And I recall after Hurricane Andrew that many could not eat because they had canned food and no NON ELECTRIC can opener. Experience can be a hard teacher.

We live in SC and have enjoyed both EMMA and MATTHEW in the last couple years. We lived in Beaufort at the time... right down between Charlestown and Savannah. Vast destruction. Roads closed. Power out.
Not good. I am not broadcasting our current location..... We are just a couple old people living 30 miles from the nearest interstate....

 

[drjean]

You bring up another thought with that, as I too, have experienced being in a natural disaster zone (or two or five)... when power is out, roads are closed.... and all normal markers of your surroundings are gone... did you buy a map and compass? Not you specifically, but preppers 'you'. Trying to learn how to orient a map and compass JIT won't work.

(Floods and high winds destroy trees, street signs, light poles and buildings. Often the areas look like they've been bombed.)

 

[Southernscotty]

P38 is very small and so convenient. I learned my lesson one year when I went to deer camp and wanted open a can of chili about dark. It dawned on me that I had no can opener, My only other choice was my buck knife which makes me cringe when I think of what I did to the edge that day. I now have a p38 on my keychain. {And a new knife}