Thread by @balajis

We already face a combination of:

- supply chain disruptions
- producers at home
- soaring prices for masks, etc
- trillions in stimulus

When checks hit, people will spend on consumer staples. Then prices rise. "Gouging" may be banned. Shortages can ensue. Markets may go dark.

https://twitter.com/TheStalwart/status/1244304083374288896

For Purell, we see:

1) supply shock: reduced supply due to disrupted supply chains, workers at home
2) demand shock: surge in demand
3) dollar shock: further surge as people get checks

So, there's a scenario where there are suddenly a lot of dollars chasing the same few goods.

Also, eBay has banned sales of things like masks & hand sanitizer. And gouging laws have been passed, which are essentially price controls.

I totally get why this has occurred. However, in the past this has been a recipe for shortages and black markets.
cnbc.com/2020/03/06/eba…

I get the repugnance argument. But one issue with preventing producers from raising prices in time of emergency is that often the producers' unit costs have also increased.

For example, I doubt that 3M's unit economics for masks are the same. See also: marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolu…