The dirty secrets of TP

Think that a roll is a roll is a roll? The truth is that for years, toilet paper manufacturers have been selling less product and masking the shrinkage with hyperbole and hardto-quantify claims, says Consumer Reports, an organization that works to improve the lives of consumers by driving marketplace change.

According to John T. Gourville, a marketing professor at Harvard’s business school, they get away with it because consumers have a better grasp of how much an item costs than they do of the size it should be.

“They have in their minds that this toilet paper costs 79 cents and that one costs 89 cents,” he explains. “They’re not taking into account that one has fewer sheets.”

Once one company downsizes its products, others follow to avoid appearing more expensive. The maker of Angel Soft brags that its double roll has 60 percent more sheets than Charmin Ultra’s double roll. Still, those brands have many sizes, and counting sheets isn’t the only way to determine value — sheet size and thickness are also factors.

Consumer Reports contacted some customer-service representatives to find out what’s behind all the shrinkage and received a variety of explanations. Many suggested that their products had become so good that consumers actually need less of it.

A customer rep for Kimberly-Clark, maker of Cottonelle and Scott, told Consumer Reports that the downsizing was a marketing decision in response to rising costs for manufacturing and distribution. A follow-up statement said that product innovations yielded “better, stronger tissue, so that you need fewer sheets to get the job done.”

Procter & Gamble’s customer rep told Consumer Reports that reducing the number of sheets actually enabled the company to improve the quality of its flagship Charmin toilet paper. The newer version is more flexible than previous ones, the rep said, and consumers should need four times less.

Costco’s decision to trim its Kirkland Signature multipacks from 36 to 30 rolls was also explained as a less-is-more approach. A customer rep said that the company took out the six rolls to provide a better product, and that the toilet paper was actually thicker than it was before.

Manufacturers have also boosted their brand offerings to include not just single and double rolls but “mega,” “triple” and “jumbo” variations, and other sizes. That makes comparing products even more confusing.

Some rolls are so bulky they may not even fit their bathroom enclosures, especially the ones in older homes. Not to worry, say the makers of Charmin. The brand’s mega rolls come with a money-back guarantee if they don’t fit. So be sure to hold on to your receipt and the package’s UPC code just in case you need to claim your refund.

Consumer Reports’ advice: Don’t flush money down the drain. Find a brand you like and stock up when it’s on sale.

Roll call

As companies shave sheets, they’re expanding product lines. The king of line extensions is Angel Soft. According to its manufacturer, Georgia-Pacific, there are seven roll sizes, from 132 to 528 sheets. The reason for all that choice? According to a customer service representative, they’re just different price points. But Gourville says it’s an effort to corner the market.

“One issue is shelf space,” he points out. “By having a proliferation of sizes, you increase the likelihood that a consumer randomly buying toilet paper or shampoo will buy your brand. And being a good-selling brand, you can command more shelf space and take it away from a competitor.”

For more information, check out the report online at ConsumerReports.org/ cro/tpsecrets.