People who engage in panic buying often do so in an attempt to save money on an item they need but don't have enough money to purchase outright. The prevalence of this behavior has been cited as one reason for the increase in prices of goods and services in recent years.

An article in The Huffington Post points out that panic buying can often have negative consequences, including increased stress and increased risk of purchasing low-quality or unsafe items. Researchers at the University of Sussex in England surveyed more than 1,500 people about their experiences with panic buying and found that the majority of those who had done it felt regrets about their decision.