I, too, thought the toilet paper would be back in stock by now.
But that has not been the case.
We dont want to be left without.
Every time you take a roll out of your bathroom closet, youre going to see whats left.
Every time you open your kitchen cabinets, you see the real-time supply of food you have available.
And thats why youre seeing empty grocery shelves, weeks after we all allegedly stocked up on toilet paper.
Think of it like a really long hurricane.
But you wait and wait for the hurricane to come.
Retailers have game plans for emergencies like natural disasters, which might include rerouting products to different stores.
But its harder to move inventory around to meet geographic need when the need is everywhere.
Different retailers have different degrees of response to panic buying, Croom said.
How much you, the consumer, notices it depends on that retailers playbook.
Then add the need to clean your store and prevent overcrowding on top of it.
Its the perfect storm of complicating factors for stores, whether theyre grocery stores, drugstores or big-box retailers.
But its not as if your local store can call up for more TP.
Toilet paper is a primarily domestic product where demand doesnt usually vary that much.
So its hard for manufacturers to step up production, Croom said, especially when they might be short-staffed.
We will continue to make adjustments to our plans as necessary.
Kimberly-Clark makes Cottonelle and Scott products.
OK, so the toilet paper companies areon it.
Where does the product originate?
How is it stored?
Different supply chains have different characteristics, Croom said.
Or, think about eggs.
Theres a bit of a lead time there, to increase production, Croom said.
Youve got to raise chicks and wait for them to lay eggs.
And adjustments take time even when you get to the store level of the chain.
Take Walmarts most recent safety measures, as an example.
Those items arent even for sale.
A Walmart supercenter sellsabout 120,000different products.
Were waiting this one out together
For you and me, this is a matter of patience.
One retailer I spoke with said theyre not answering any inquiries about stock levels.
But the shortages wont last forever.
Its a matter of how long we can last without going to the store, Croom said.
You have to plan your consumption at home… Its not something were used to.
