Coronavirus panic: Why are people stockpiling toilet paper?
Consumer psychology experts say the behaviour is "obviously irrational", and a clear example of herd mentality whipped up by social media and news coverage.
The pictures of bare aisles haven't helped.
"What you've got to remember is that when 50 packs of toilet paper rolls disappear off shelves, you really notice it because they take up so much room," says Prof Debra Grace from Griffith University.
"It's much more noticeable than say 50 cans of baked beans or hand sanitiser disappearing."
FOMO syndrome - or Fear Of Missing Out - is in full force here says Associate Professor Nitika Garg from the University of New South Wales.
"They think if this person is buying it, if my neighbour is buying there's got to be a reason and I need to get in too," she told the BBC.
Prof Garg compares the rush to what occurred in many Asian nations. She notes that in China for example, there was a greater motivation to stock up on white ply because "there's a thinking that toilet paper can be substituted for tissues and napkins and to make makeshift masks".
Using toilet paper as a medical resource isn't fuelling the Australian demand so far, she says. The local buy-up is driven by fear.
She suggests the situation is unprecedented. Australians have stocked up on household goods before but it's been due to a natural disaster like a bushfire or cyclone, and restricted to certain communities.
"But when it comes to coronavirus, people aren't certain as to how things are going to pan out, or how much worse it's going to get," Prof Garg says.
"They want to be prepared because it's the one thing they can do to get some sense of control."
Another consumer expert, Dr Rohan Miller from the University of Sydney, believes it is a reflection of an urbanised society and lifestyle where modern convenience reigns supreme.
"We're not used to shortages and scarcity, we're used to being able to pick and choose what we want, when we want. So the rush to get toilet paper is just this sheep mentality to maintain that status," he says.
Soft, white squares of toilet roll - marketed with pictures of puppies and pure snow - are a daily "luxury" that Australians and others just aren't willing to mentally part with.
"I think people want to make sure they have some comforts in their lives if they're going to be shacked up with their family for a long time," he says.
"Toilet paper doesn't really matter - it's just so far down the survival list compared to other things like food or water -
but it's just something people cling to as a minimum standard."
Coronavirus panic: Why are people stockpiling toilet paper?
