[familyop]

"I don't know abou the price increase, but nonperishables like canned vegetables and dried beans have been getting wiped out quickly here, whenever they go on sale, since early summer of 2008. If you want to get it, you'd better show up the day the sale starts. That's unusual."

...same here. It's been going on here for about a year, roughly. According to one manager at a local discount bulk food store, the people doing most of the truck hoarding are a little more affluent than most, and others, restaurant owners of Asian descent.

[ChocChipCookie]

This is anecdotal, but a good friend of ours was in a Sam’s Club in north Scottsdale. A very nice affluent area. He saw three very well dressed younger women pushing a total of five carts loaded down with canned goods, rice, etc. When he asked the cashier about this, he said that the store hasn’t been able to stay fully stocked with staples, and that they call customers like this, “freaks.” Maybe more people than we think are hunkering down — just not talking about it.

[FrogMom]

a local discount bulk food store

Like what? I've been looking for such a thing! Names?