Ok but if you turn up at the meat shop and can't get any, wouldn't you then go to __x food shop down the street__ and get something else instead?
> wouldn't you then go to __x food shop down the street__
A-hem. Command economies and central planning are interesting like that.
If there is a shortage, it doesn't matter if your market is "free" or if your economic planner is Sam Walton or Сталин or Bezos, you better hurry to next shop and hope they still have some, or hope you're rich enough to buy from scalpers, or hope there is enough supply for rationing.
No, what will happen is some people will get meat for the week in their shop, and some will get none.
Imagine meat is like toilet roll, one day a family turns up late to get their food from the store and there is no meat left for them.
It's better to avoid situations like this by trying to convince households to eat more alternatives, than to leave some households with no meat at all or let meat queues start etc.