The Reporter (Lansdale, PA)

Toilet paper limits, empty shelves are back

As virus surges, stores struggle to keep up with consumer demand

- By Joseph Pisani and Anne D’Innocenzio

Looking for toilet paper? Good luck.

A surge of new coronaviru­s cases in the U.S. is sending people back to stores to stockpile again, leaving shelves bare and forcing retailers to put limits on purchases.

Walmart said Tuesday it’s having trouble keeping up with demand for cleaning supplies in some stores. Supermarke­t chains Kroger and Publix are limiting how much toilet paper and paper towels shoppers can buy after demand spiked recently. And Amazon is sold out of most disinfecta­nt wipes and paper towels.

A similar scene played out back in March, when the pandemic first hit and people hunkered down in their homes.

But Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the Consumer Brands Associatio­n, formerly the Grocery

Manufactur­ers Associatio­n, said he doesn’t expect things to be as bad this go-around since lockdowns are being handled on a regional basis and everyone is better prepared.

“A more informed consumer combined with a more informed manufactur­er and a more informed retailer should provide all of us with a greater sense of ease and ensure we can meet this growing demand, “Freeman said.

The biggest supply issue seems to be paper products: 21% of shelves that stock paper towels and toilet paper are empty, the highest level in at least a month, according to market research company IRI. Cleaning supplies have remained level at 16%. Before the pandemic, 5% to 7% of consumer goods were typically out of stock, IRI said.

Contributi­ng to the problem is the fact that roughly 10% of the workforce at manufactur­ing plants where the products are made are calling out sick, mainly because they’ve been in contact with others who were tested positive to COVID-19, Freeman said.

Kelly Anderson of Colorado Springs, Colorado, said she needs more supplies since in-person school in her area was canceled earlier this month and her two children are home more. She’s noticed others are stocking up, too: Safeway and Walmart were nearly wiped out of bottled water and disinfecta­nt wipes during a recent visit.

It’s also been harder to find a time slot to get her groceries delivered. Anderson says she’s had to wait as many as two days instead of same-day delivery. But that’s still not as bad as earlier this year

“March seems like a million years ago, but I do remember freaking out,” she said. “I couldn’t get groceries delivered for a week.”

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