Toilet Paper Shortage Again? Panic Buying, Supply Chain Challenges Blamed

Toilet paper is flying off the shelves again amid panic buying by consumers as coronavirus cases surge again, and the shortages are getting exacerbated by supply chain issues.

The surge in COVID-19 infections fueled by the Delta variant of the virus has made consumers across the U.S. stock up on essential home products, such as toilet paper, Insider reported.

Toilet paper shortages, reported last year when the first wave of the coronavirus hit the country, had largely eased as an aggressive vaccine rollout seemed to have tamed the virus.

But new infections are surging again although more than half, or 53%, of the population has been vaccinated. Last month, daily new cases rose above the numbers seen in February. The U.S. has so far recorded 40.33 million coronavirus cases and nearly 660,000 deaths, according to Worldometer data. More than 140,000 new cases and 1,397 deaths were reported Wednesday, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker.

Large manufacturers of toilet paper are now ramping up production in an effort to keep the supplies flowing. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the biggest toilet paper maker in the U.S., Procter & Gamble, is operating factories 24/7. Small retailers have been hit the most by the supply issues as Proctor & Gamble has limited retailer orders.

One such retailer is the Massachusetts-based grocery chain Roche Bros. Arthur Ackles, the vice president of merchandising and buying at Roche Bros, told the WSJ that “customers are asking a lot of questions” as the grocery chain struggles to keep toilet paper in stock. However, rising demand is just one side of the story.

Ackles said labor issues across the country impacted U.S. supply chains, triggering delays in production and delivery of orders. “I don’t think we fully recovered from when the supply chain got a massive hit,” Ackles pointed out. The U.S. is faced with a record labor shortage that has dampened hopes for companies to find and hire workers despite the end of unemployment benefits this month.

Last year’s spring saw some of the most chaotic scenes at retail stores as people rushed to stock up on toilet paper before widespread lockdowns were declared. This time, with that experience in mind, manufacturers are trying to respond quickly to the surge in demand.

In a statement to USA Today, Cottonelle and Scott toilet tissue maker Kimberly-Clark said the company is “monitoring the situation closely, and working hard to produce more toilet paper and other essential paper products to best meet customer needs.” Angel Soft and Quilter Northern toilet paper maker Georgia-Pacific told the outlet that it “continues to produce toilet paper and towels 24/7 across our system.” Georgia-Pacific also reminded consumers to “only purchase what you need.”

Consumers have taken to social media on the rising demand. One Twitter user, for instance, said it’s her “personal vow” to “not hoard toilet paper.”