Potato chips are a big deal in Japan. Due to a shortage potato production, there’s a potato-chip crisis in Japan that creates a panic buying. It sounds crazy but people are willing to buy a potato chip bag for $12.
Bloomberg reported: “Demand for potato chips has surged in Japan this week, with products on offer for 6 times their retail price online after Japanese snack company Calbee Inc. halted the sale of some of its most popular chip brands. Calbee’s pizza-flavored chips were going for about 1,250 yen ($12) on Yahoo Japan Corp.’s auction website Friday. One bag usually sells for less than 200 yen. Photos of near-empty shelves at their local supermarkets were trending on Twitter. The crunch came after Calbee warned on Monday that it will temporarily halt the sale of 15 types of potato chips due to a bad crop in Hokkaido, a key potato-producing region. The northern island was hit by a record number of typhoons last year.”
It’s hard to delay gratification, especially the temptation of tasty foods. For those who can wait, there’s a financial reward at the end when price drops back to normal.
