There is a shortage of the goods: Demanders are unable to buy all they want at the going price. A shortage is sometimes called a situation of excess demand. When a shortage occurs in the ice-cream available. With too many buyers chasing too few goods,sellers can respond to the shortage by raising their prices without losing sales. These price increases cause the quantity demanded to fall and the quantity supplied to rise. Once again, these change represent movements along the supply and demand curve, and they move the market toward the equilibrium.