Hoarding in distributive trade refers to the practice of withholding goods from the market in order to create an artificial scarcity, which allows sellers to charge higher prices. This means that the goods become less available to consumers, which leads to a decrease in the supply of goods in the market. As a result, consumers may have to pay higher prices for the goods or may even find it difficult to obtain them at all. Therefore, the correct answer is "artificial scarcity of goods."