Post by t-bob on May 22, 2020 10:42:46 GMT -5
Ah yes, the elusive roll of toilet paper, universal symbol of American quarantine culture. TP shortages have been a constant since the early days of the pandemic, when manufacturers assured us they'd be temporary. They were not. Why?
"Early on it was straight-up panic hoarding, but more recently it's gotten a little complicated," Post business reporter Laura Reiley said.
It's a three-ply problem, if you will. First, all those stay-at-home orders have led to more stay-at-home pooping. "Companies have estimated that 40 percent more toilet paper is being used at home than during normal times," Reiley said.
Second, retailers can't simply restock their shelves with office-grade toilet paper when they run out of the plush stuff. "Toilet paper destined for commercial use is different than the Charmin, etc., we use at home," Reiley said. "It is often made of recycled material and isn't the quilted multi-ply we buy for home. Often those rolls are bigger, fit into different kinds of dispensers, and so forth. So that toilet paper destined for commercial use is sitting in limbo with no takers."
And the final layer of the problem: "Because profit margins are low for toilet paper, the companies that produce it have just enough equipment to fill ordinary orders," Reiley said. "Even running the machinery around the clock, companies haven't been able to keep up with retail demand."
If you're in desperate need, she recommends scouting out smaller shops, convenience store and dollar stores that might not have been picked clean. "Everyone has been swarming the big box stores for it, so outsmart them and look elsewhere."
"Early on it was straight-up panic hoarding, but more recently it's gotten a little complicated," Post business reporter Laura Reiley said.
It's a three-ply problem, if you will. First, all those stay-at-home orders have led to more stay-at-home pooping. "Companies have estimated that 40 percent more toilet paper is being used at home than during normal times," Reiley said.
Second, retailers can't simply restock their shelves with office-grade toilet paper when they run out of the plush stuff. "Toilet paper destined for commercial use is different than the Charmin, etc., we use at home," Reiley said. "It is often made of recycled material and isn't the quilted multi-ply we buy for home. Often those rolls are bigger, fit into different kinds of dispensers, and so forth. So that toilet paper destined for commercial use is sitting in limbo with no takers."
And the final layer of the problem: "Because profit margins are low for toilet paper, the companies that produce it have just enough equipment to fill ordinary orders," Reiley said. "Even running the machinery around the clock, companies haven't been able to keep up with retail demand."
If you're in desperate need, she recommends scouting out smaller shops, convenience store and dollar stores that might not have been picked clean. "Everyone has been swarming the big box stores for it, so outsmart them and look elsewhere."
