Stockpiling over time, long in advance of a crisis is great (but might be tough to find those investors). Supply has time to adjust and you are not hurting anyone.
Stockpiling in a burst just before a rush, when it’s too late for suppliers to adjust production, is much less clear. You’re accelerating or in some cases creating the shortage, and you’re not changing the short-term supply at all.
Ah, okay. I guess that answers my question: you don’t think it’s possible to mitigate shortages by stockpiling without losing money in expectation. I wish it were—surge production is a much more tenuous solution that depends on being able to foresee a disaster shortly before it occurs, and even then it might not be possible to produce enough to help significantly.
Stockpiling over time, long in advance of a crisis is great (but might be tough to find those investors).
Supply has time to adjust and you are not hurting anyone.
Stockpiling in a burst just before a rush, when it’s too late for suppliers to adjust production, is much less clear. You’re accelerating or in some cases creating the shortage, and you’re not changing the short-term supply at all.
Ah, okay. I guess that answers my question: you don’t think it’s possible to mitigate shortages by stockpiling without losing money in expectation. I wish it were—surge production is a much more tenuous solution that depends on being able to foresee a disaster shortly before it occurs, and even then it might not be possible to produce enough to help significantly.