
Customers’ growing
frustration has reached such extremes in some places that it has escalated into
physical confrontations and actual larceny — over rolls of toilet paper. In
mid-March, Florida sheriff’s deputies arrested a man for allegedly
stealing 66 toilet paper rolls from a Marriott hotel. In early April, Beverly
Hills cops found 192 rolls of toilet paper in a stolen SUV. Customers are
clearly fed up with seeing empty store shelves.
What’s behind the ongoing
shortage of basic commodities like toilet paper? Why are we still seeing a lack
of supplies months after the initial onset of the pandemic and the nationwide
lockdown? When will the shortage end?
Manufacturers explain that
the bare shelves we saw when the pandemic first began dominating headlines were
likely due to the panic that swept through the country. The hysteria was fanned
by fear-mongering articles on some news sites that had very little basis in
actual, proven facts.
This, in turn, led to frantic
customers swarming stores and buying out paper towels, hand soap, disinfectant
and toilet paper. Suppliers weren’t properly prepared to meet the overwhelming
demand, and goods were understandably limited or unavailable until they could
replenish their stock.
“I can’t give you an exact
number, but I will tell you we’re making more than ever,” says Arist
Mastorides, president of the company which makes Cottonelle toilet paper and
other dry goods. “It’s a significant amount to cover what we think will be used
with people traveling less and staying home more.”
But why haven’t they caught
up with the demand by now, nearly three months later?
Eric Abercrombie, spokesman
for the company that makes Quilted Northern toilet paper, explains that the
shortage is due to a shift in the demand with the nationwide lockdown. It’s not
that Americans are using more toilet paper at home than they do at work; it’s
that they use a different kind. The bath tissue generally sold to the
commercial market is made of one-ply recycled fiber, while the kind favored by
consumers is a softer product made of two-ply virgin fiber. Suppliers need to
adapt to this shift for meeting the changing demands.
Some other products, like
paper towels and hand soap, are still in short supply as manufacturers struggle
to restock the shelves emptied a few months ago. There have also been some interruptions
in the supply chain, such as workers contracting the virus and staying home
sick or those self-quarantining to keep themselves and others healthy.
But there is hope on the
horizon for the frustrated consumer.
Manufacturers assure the
public that they are hard at work to meet the changing demands and to replenish
depleted stock in stores around the country. Factories are running 24/7 and
temporary workers are being called upon to cover for employees who stay home.
In just a few weeks, the manufacturers say, customers should be seeing fully
stocked shelves once again.
Your Turn:
Have you seen shortages at your local grocery and box stores? Have you started
shopping in new ways, such as online or at new retailers? Tell us in the
comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment